Forethought
by beemera
Summary: Whoever said dying was blissful deserved a kick in the wazoo. Unfortunately, I'd never heard a saying appropriate for being reborn into an impossible place. DISCLAIMER: I don't own NARUTO. Semi-self-insert/OC
1. Prologue

**Okaaaay, this is an OC fic. I had been toying around with the idea of an OC from our world being reborn into the Narutoverse for a while now and thought 'Why the hell not?'**

**This is just the prologue... Let me know what you think :)**

* * *

I blinked blearily and dragged my feet through the computer lab, a large coffee in one hand and a weighty messenger bag in the other. I'd spent most of the night going over the final preparations for the field test today that I'd only managed to crash on the couch and sleep for two hours. Even with all the makeup piled on my face you could still see the bags. If I wasn't so tired I would have been proud of myself for making it to the office at nine sharp in somewhat working condition.

I gave half-hearted nods to my co-workers who shot me weird glances, unused to my even more sombre morning mood.

I wasn't a morning person.

At all.

It took at least five coffees until I was awake enough to hold a decent conversation. And just like flicking a switch, my mood would turn from zombie to hyper. I had heard a few theories – ranging from caffeine overload to satanic possession – that a few of my co-workers had whispered about between themselves. I didn't mind them talking about me like I wasn't there or wouldn't hear anything in the office.

I was damn good at my job and they all knew it. The boss knew it too, which was probably why he put up with my bizarre behaviour most of the time unless the higher-ups came to check everything out.

Then he turned into a pseudo-Nazi and everyone was whipped into meek submission.

I shuffled into my office, stepping over a few scattered boxes filled with circuit boards and solder-wire and slumped into my rickety chair. I nudged the power point beneath the desk with my toe to boot up my impressive display of computers spread across the tabletop and continued to sip the sweet nectar of morning energy.

I had been working for the government for a while now. During my final year of high school I was 'scouted' by the FBI and military. Needless to say I almost crapped my pants when my dad called me down to talk to Agent Cranky and Agent Crankier – both in neatly pressed suits with guns hidden underneath their coats. Hell, they even wore those stupid sunglasses I'd seen in the movies.

My preferred pastime wasn't exactly legal, what with the computer hacking and information gathering and whatnot. I could tear apart and rewrite software by the time I was twelve and was breaching various military, government and major business firewalls for the hell of it at sixteen. The moniker 'Baby Phantom' made me laugh when they told me with straight, stony faces. My dad wasn't as amused…

I had gotten cocky and didn't pull out of a snoop in time and my CPU had gotten tracked. I guess they were impressed with my ability to flit between the cracks and remain unseen. They'd threatened me with a major fine and possible jail time until Agent Crankier provided an ultimatum.

Go to jail or work for them on half-pay, no benefits.

It was pretty easy for me to choose.

And here I was, five years later, no longer looked at with _as much_ suspicion. My good performance record was proof enough. Although sometimes my attitude got me threatened with the long-passed jail time, I would simply remind them of all the good I'd done for them and how their productivity had risen by forty-five percent each year since my inclusion.

There was a knock against my doorjamb, startling me out of my blank reverie. With a slight flush of embarrassment I realised I'd been staring at my log-in page for the past – I glanced at the time – fifteen minutes.

My coffee was cold.

I drained it with a grimace and tossed the cup in the trash beneath my desk before facing Michael, one of my middle aged co-workers who provided for his family and two dogs in middle-class suburbia.

He gave me a sheepish smile, holding up a rather messily packed cardboard box. "Hey, Tia. Do you think you can sort through these for me? They're files on Project Kenny."  
I blinked, sleepy mind sifting through the current non-classified projects floating around the office. "Whaa? I thought Sasha was working on it with you?"

"She is," he said, "But she had to go to New York for a meeting and won't be back until next Monday and my wife just called me to say Alice's school called. She had another seizure and it was pretty bad. Another hospital stay by the looks of it."  
"Ah." I didn't have much else to say. Michael was a cool guy, pushing through for his family and eldest daughter who had epilepsy. I'd met little Alice a few times. She was a cute, bouncy kid.

I sighed and gestured to a rare blank spot on my table. He put the box down with a grateful smile.

"Ready for the big test this afternoon?" he asked, genuinely curious.

I shrugged and smothered a yawn. I still had two more coffees to go until I could think straight. Even this small talk was zapping me. "More or less. These don't have to be done today do they?" I eyed the box warily. I didn't want to work on a Project solo on a tight deadline. I had enough on my plate.

Thankfully Michael shook his head as he headed towards the door. "Nah. Doesn't have to be done until Friday."  
I slumped in my chair. I had three days to finish the Project. Plenty of time. I made a shooing gesture, making the man laugh. "Have no fear. Tia is here to save your ass again. Tell Maria and the kids I say hi!"

"Will do!" And with that he disappeared, leaving me to work.

My hand reached out to pat the usual space I leave my coffee, only to groan in realisation. I'd run out.

My head met the desk with a loud thunk.

"It's too early for this shit."

* * *

Come five in the afternoon I was riding comfortably in the back seat of an SUV with Sara, one of the higher-ups I'd collaborated with on this Project. It basically combined the effects of an EMP and computer virus, sending the data through either wireless satellite connection or a circuit plant to disrupt any and all software. It didn't simply shut it down, it infected and spread and could be tracked back to mother boards and main consoles. Depending on the height of danger and whereabouts, the software could potentially shut down an entire city as big as Los Angeles with little effort.

Or a heavily fortified bunker filled with weapons.

It was dangerous, especially since most things ran on electricity nowadays, whether on closed or open circuits.

My hand slipped down to touch the locked briefcase resting on the floor at my feet which contained a tough-case laptop and the prototype. I'd worked too hard for this project to fizzle and die now.

Sara caught my eye and gave me a small, dry smile. It wasn't a comforting gesture since Sara was a stickler for the rules, wearing the uniform of her station with pride and just a hint of smugness. Even now I could see her mentally burning my casual appearance and nose piercing. Plus it didn't help that Sara was a bit of a bitch even on a good day. She was no doubt one of the ones who thought I was nothing more than a criminal after everything I did in my youth. Nice people in the office were few and far between.

Oh well. After today I'd return to my office and Sara to hers and I never had to see her again.

I didn't know how right I was.

Sara turned back to the tinted window, watching the passing scenery with little interest. "So, are you sure everything is prepared?"  
I resisted rolling my eyes. That was the third time she'd asked me that. "Yes. This is my field, Sara. I know what I'm doing."  
Sara sniffed, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'doesn't _look_ like it' under her breath. I silently bristled. Just because I worked in comfortable clothes and expressed myself with piercings and extroverted behaviour didn't mean I was incompetent. I released a breath to calm myself. I told myself it was just the stress from the last few weeks and the looming demonstration had put me on edge. That was the only reason I was getting agitated so quickly. It had nothing to do with Sara's Princess Bitch-face Syndrome-

"Good. I'd hate for the Generals' time to be wasted by a simpleton's electronic _toy_."

-okay, maybe she had _a lot_ to do with it.

"What the hell is your problem with me?" I snapped, my glare frosty. Sara simply raised a perfectly sculpted brow in mocking question. "I've been nothing but nice to you throughout this whole process and you've been nothing but a frigging pain in the ass. I know I'm not up to your stupid standards or whatever but can you _at least_ be a decent human being and treat me with a little respect?"

By the end of my spiel I was huffing and red faced, Sara simply looking at me with a blank mask. I felt my ire grow as her lips twisted into a small smirk and promised myself I wouldn't punch her, no matter what.

Nope.

No siree.

I wouldn't sink to that level.

I _wouldn't_.

… I hope.

"I'm surprised you understand what half of those words mean," she sneered.

_Oh, fuck it._

I dove across the seat and tackled her against the car door, thankful that it was locked. I'd hate to have this fight move outside and onto the tarmac of the freeway. She screeched at me, calling me crazy and I snarled right back, calling her a bitch. Her nails raked across my neck but I didn't care. All I wanted was to smear her stupidly perfect makeup and pull her stupidly perfect blonde hair and mess up her stupidly perfect uniform.

If there were any room to pull over, the driver would have; whether to watch the fight or break it up, I wasn't too sure.

Apparently he'd been too distracted by the fight happening in his back seat to notice the small Honda parked on the side of the freeway with its hazards on. With a cry and a jerk of the steering wheel he sped across three lanes of traffic to sideswipe another car, sending us careening out of control.

My eyes met Sara's and for a moment we understood each other. We were both terrified.

Metal crunched, glass shattered and the world was spinning as the car flipped end over end, debris scattering across the road like fallen skittles as I was tossed about like a rag doll.

Sara had a degree of protection with her seatbelt on. I'd unbuckled mine so I could claw her face off. Now I was severely regretting it.

My world was pain, exploding and blindingly white as my limbs whipped about without any control. My throat was sore from the screaming and I simply _hurt_.

Then, after an eternity of being torn apart, there was blissful non-movement and somehow I was still alive.

Concussed, bleeding and no doubt broken but still alive.

I wasn't sure how long I lay there for, face pressed against the roof of the car amongst the glass and… was that a piece of the dashboard?

My eyes registered blurry movement beyond the confines of the car, my ears registered sirens and crying and my body registered numbness slowly changing into a frigid coldness. My tongue felt heavy and I couldn't say anything, couldn't cry out and tell someone – _anyone_ – that I was still there and that I was okay and _God, I'm so sleepy, I really need a coffee right now._

I drifted off into the darkness and it felt good. There was no pain here and I felt so at peace as I simply floated. I sighed in relief. At least it didn't hurt anym-

Electricity arced across my skin and my mouth opened in a silent scream. My heart thudded painfully in my chest for a spluttering few moments and I was aware of how heavy I was and I could feel something wrong despite the breath rattling inside of me. My eyes, which had opened for a split moment, made out the frantic yet composed faces of two uniformed paramedics hovering over me. Their lips were moving but I couldn't make out anything above the high pitched ringing in my ears.

Then the weight lifted and my eyes closed and I was floating once more.

I felt a few sporadic sparks but after the eternity of pain I didn't want to go back there, to where it physically hurt and it was at that moment I knew I was dying.

Panic set in but I knew it was too late. I was too far gone to be saved.

The darkness seemed to glow and its fingers snagged me to pull me deeper and I couldn't do anything but let it.

I floated and felt a single tear escape my eye as I closed my lids for the last time. I still had so many regrets.

I hadn't visited my parents' graves in over a year. I hadn't travelled like I wanted. I'd never get to show off that stupid Project I'd worked so hard on for the damn government. I'd never know if Sara or little Alice would be okay. I hadn't wanted to die, but I hadn't really been _living_ either.

I didn't have anyone important in my life so I simply drifted through the years, doing as I pleased but there was _so much more out there._

Realisation shot through me like a bullet and my heart ached in my rapidly numbing chest.

_I… I don't want to die…_

_Please… God, I… I'm sorry but I…_

_… I don't want to die…_

* * *

Whoever said death was blissful deserved a kick in the balls, I decided. It wasn't so bad at first since I spent so much time floating. It was warm and comforting, like a hug from a parent, and so blissful…

Until the darkened space seemed to shrink more and more until I could barely move, and the walls contracted around me, squeezing and pulling and uncaring if I wanted to stay there or not.

There'd been no light at the end of the tunnel for me, simply an endless black that didn't really look, feel or smell like anything in particular. I'd thought I might have been sent to Hell, considering I didn't have the best track record when it came to being on my best behaviour but the scenery – or lack thereof – didn't change.

It was still black.

It was still warm.

But now it was suffocating and unbearably hot and I could feel it twisting and pulling and yanking and then the cold came. The difference was so sharp and painful I couldn't help but cry out. Then my senses came alive.

Well, almost all of them.

I could smell something comforting, feel something warm wrapping around me and it seeped into my bones, instantly calming me. I could hear a soft cooing sound that, weirdly, made my muscles limp with contentment.

But I couldn't see a damn thing. The darkness was still there, and for some reason I knew it shouldn't be.

It should be bright and colourful and wonderful but it wasn't.

But I couldn't think about that right now. The warmth surrounding me disappeared and my body was lifted like a feather towards something else warm. I could smell salt now, and hear sniffling.

_Crying?_ I thought but that thought soon fled as I realised how hollow I felt. I vaguely realised I was hungry and started to whimper, the cooing sound returning but this time deeper and more masculine.

I had no idea what was going on. Something rested in my palm and I curled my fingers around it, words being spoken softly around me and again I was passed over to something – no, _someone_ – who was warm and smelled familiar and good. I instinctively curled towards the scent, relaxing instantly and I slipped into a peaceful sleep, memories and rational thought retreating behind a wall of fog.

* * *

**Lemme know what ya think! :)**


	2. Give and Take

**I'm sorry for the heavy feels in this chapter. I promise to lighten it up soon, it's just that I don't think a kid can really articulate adult words and feelings properly out loud, ya know? You may be able to think and perceive things as an adult but the words out of your mouth are somewhat childish...**

**At least, that's my reasoning anyways :)**

**Lemme know what ya think!**

* * *

I could recognise routine when I saw it. Or rather, in this case, felt it. The hollowness would return and I couldn't speak to say that I was hungry or thirsty so I could only whimper and cry. I would be fed, like an invalid, and bathed and taken care of, the voices and scents becoming familiar to me.

It was a man and a woman taking care of me. I didn't know why or how they found me but I was becoming attached to them. It was hard not to after however long they looked after me. I could feel strength returning to me, albeit sloppily, to my limbs as I waved them around to get a feel of them again. My mind picked up a gaggle of words during the course of the day, or night (since I couldn't tell – I'd long since come to the conclusion that I'm blind) but only one seemed to be repeated directly to me – Akani. My name.

In a dark recess of my mind I revolted, stating that _no, my name is Tia! Ti-a!_ but I slowly started to react to the word because I recognised it as _mine_.

My world was still dark but my other senses heightened to accommodate. I could smell and feel and taste and hear so much clearer than I had before and I started to smile and giggle at the thought of reckoning myself to a bat. I didn't have sonar, but I did have my hands.

A myriad of things were placed into my clumsy grasp at any time during the day, since I could feel the coolness of the night now. I felt soft blankets and toys, the grass outside and the sunshine on my skin and I could mentally paint a picture of someone's face as I reached out to touch features I recognised as _nose, eyes, lips, ears, hair_.

My tongue, after so long of not obeying me, began to cooperate and wrap around words in a language that was familiar yet foreign at the same time. The woman called herself 'kaa-chan' and the man called himself 'tou-san.'

I recognised those words and my mind accepted them but my soul didn't. I didn't truly know these people but felt a need to stick close to them because they were satisfying my curious need to _know_.

The world beyond my own personal darkness was strange and wonderful and frightening if I were to venture out on my own and I had never felt so _helpless_. I relied on these people for everything – food, shelter, warmth, protection… love. I craved their attention.

My balance improved rapidly as I was always stubborn and incredibly determined to learn everything about anything that interested me. I prioritised my days, even though my mind often slipped from one mundane thing to another like water through a sieve. I'd focus on lifting my arms, then my legs and rolling about to get a feel of which way was which.

The darkness could be disorientating.

When I felt confident enough to stand I did so, knowing that if I leant too far to the side there was a pair of arms ready to catch me. That warmed my heart even if it ached at the same time.

These people – my _parents_ since I couldn't deny it any longer that I'd somehow been reborn, my final prayer answered for a reason I couldn't figure out – watched over me and genuinely loved me, patiently teaching me about the world.

My mother cried when I walked to her and touched her face, cooing out a broken 'kaa-chan.'

My father let loose a single tear when I kissed his cheek one night. He'd come home smelling heavily of copper and he hugged me so tight, like I was a lifeline, and for so long I fell asleep in his arms.

I learned words that morphed into sentences that grew into conversations filled with innocent curiosity and my parents were always happy to oblige my inquisitive nature despite my visual disability. Whether they were unnerved by my rapid pick up of the basics, like walking and talking, they didn't show it. Instead they were proud, calling me prodigious to the myriad of people I came into contact with over the beginning years.

I could hear the pride in their voices and it made me smile to know I was doing something right in their eyes. I was praised for every small thing I did and at first it confused me because somehow I simply _knew_ how to place one foot in front of the other despite my body never going through the motions before.

It wasn't until I was almost four years that I became aware of a soft thrum inside of me. Instinctively I knew it was there, and that it was good and a part of me but my need to know more pushed me to ask my mother.

"Kaa-chan?" I asked from my seat at the small dinner table. I knew ever single dip, curve and groove in the wood before me.

"Yes, darling?" came the melodious reply from where the sink was. She was washing the dishes from lunch. From what I could paint in my mind, she was a beautiful woman. Her laugh made my chest warm.

"I feel warm," I said, placing a hand over my stomach, "in here."  
She laughed and it was a wonderful tinkering sound. "You just had lunch, sweetie. You can't be hungry."  
I shook my head, trying to find the words to describe what I could feel inside of my own body. "It feels… warm and wiggly. Sometimes I can feel it in my fingers and toes. What is it?"  
There was a slight clatter as she put the dripping dishes into the drying rack and padded over to kneel beside me. My skin would always prickle in awareness and warmth when someone was near me, the thrum becoming a soft buzz. She took my hands in hers.

"You said it starts here?" She tapped my stomach. I nodded. "You're a very smart girl, Akani." I could hear the smile and pride in her voice. "What you're feeling is something called chakra."  
"Cha… kra?" I asked, testing the word on my tongue. I felt a niggle in the back of my mind, a memory of long past trying to push itself through the fog that separated my two lives. "What is it?"  
"Chakra lives in everything. Everyone has it, but not everyone can use it," she explained patiently.

I frowned, a million questions running through my mind. "Can I use it?"  
"If you choose to." Her voice sounded guarded and slightly strained, as if what I had just asked pained her.

I smiled in her direction, my curiosity and eagerness overriding my need to question her concern further. "I want to use katra!" I wasn't sure what I'd use it _for_, but it was interesting and I liked interesting things.

She laughed heartily now. "Chakra, sweetie. _Chakra_." She leaned forward and kissed my forehead, her lips warm. "We can wait until your father gets home, ne?"  
"Aww!" I whined, deflating a little and sounding my age. "But mooooom!"

"No," she said sternly, "I'm sure your father would like to be here to see you unlock your chakra. Now, how about a nap, hm?"  
I pouted. "I'm not tired," I said petulantly, desperately smothering a sudden yawn.

She simply laughed in a knowing way and led me to my bedroom.

I was asleep a minute after my head hit the pillow.

* * *

I bounced a little in excitement on a thin tatami mat across from my parents in the living room, the cool night air brushing my skin. It had been a few days since my mother told me about chakra and how I had it. She'd said we had to wait for my father to get home, and that she could only give me a vague date he would be back from wherever he went. I'd never really thought much about where he went or what he did. The money for our cost of living had to come from somewhere, I just never thought about it.

The feeling that I was missing something that should be blaringly obvious to me had only grown but if I thought about it too much I simply got a headache.

I also found the more I focus on the thrum in my stomach the more aware of it I became, feeling it swirl about my body from my head to my toes. Whenever I 'searched' inside of myself, there was a certain blankness around my eyes that seemed odd, like a pocket of dark that should have light in it.

It was my blindness, the chakra not reaching my eyes at all.

"Akani-chan, you need to sit still for this," my father softly chided. I stilled instantly but couldn't keep the wide grin from my face. My mother chuckled a little. "Now, your mother told you a little about chakra?"

I nodded. "Yeah, mommy said it's in everything, even me!"  
"That's right, smart girl. We were going to wait until you were older to see if you could unlock your chakra but it seems fate has other plans, ne?"

I frowned a little, tilting my head in confusion. "Unlock my chakra? Who locked it?"  
My parents shared a laugh. "No one locked it darling," my mother answered, "It's just waiting for you to open it up is all. Once it's opened it'll remain that way and will get stronger the more you work with it."  
"Oh."  
"Now Akani," my father said, tone turning oddly serious, "Are you sure you want to unlock your chakra?"  
I shrunk back a little, now unsure of myself. "Y-yes?"

"Shiro, she's still so young," my mother murmured, "Are you sure this-"

"I know she's young, Lin, but she's a tough girl," my father cut off. The feeling I was missing something big reared its ugly head once more. "If the rumours are proven true then we need to start her training as soon as possible, even if it's just a little. I want you both safe." My father sounded conflicted, as if he'd lost sleep over this decision.

"But Shiro, she's _blind-_"

"I _know_ that, darling, but Akani is strong, just like her mother, ne? Trust me."

I could almost hear my mother frown sadly before she muttered an 'okay.'

"Now, Akani, I want you sit really still, okay?" my father instructed. I did as I was told. "Take a deep breath in and hold it, hold it… that's a girl, now release it and focus on the warm feeling in your stomach. Can you feel the wiggle?"  
It took me a few seconds to find the wiggle beneath the warmth and the humming but I eventually nodded.

"That's a good girl. Now, what I want you to do is grab it and pull it to the surface, feel it flowing through your whole body."  
A slight frown marred my forehead. How was I supposed to grab something so wiggly? Regardless, I did as my father said, diving deep inside of myself until I found the humming, writhing mass of light, the colour almost blinding me as I pulled and pulled and pulled, slowly but surely making progress. I almost cried when I recognised the colour – _blue_, my mind whispered – in the darkness. I hadn't seen the blue in this life but I knew it from my last, however opaque the memories were.

Starbursts and recollections of colour pushed forward, the rainbows mixing with the knowledge my parents had taught me. The sky was blue, the grass and trees were green and the sun was a mass of yellow and white.

Skin could be pink, white or brown and hair could be the colours of a vibrant rainbow. Mine was apparently red, like my name, like the blood running through the veins of everyone living. I was Akani.

Not Tia.

My grip on the mass of blue slipped but it didn't matter as it had been pushed far enough to the surface, flooding my whole body with warmth rapidly but I couldn't help but feel cold.

I was Akani.

I may have _been_ Tia, but here I was Akani. I was someone else's daughter. Did I look the same? I would never know.  
I _felt_ the same, or at least I thought I did. My whole life as Tia, the high school rebel graduate who was forced into working for the government and died in a car accident, was over. My life as Akani, the not-quite four year old only daughter of Shiro and Lin, was who I was _now. _Tia was no more than a stranger to me now and the jagged separation between the two different people I seemed to be made me breathless.

The shock made my sightless eyes well with tears that I let fall when I realised I could _see_. Not physical things, but the swirling masses of energy a few feet away, the outlines of my parents, shone in front of me.

My father's blue was steady and strong yet gentle, my mother's a more vibrant blue than my father's but no less beautiful and they felt familiar to me.

And I could _see_ the worry in my parents' chakra, the slight waver around the heart that I could only interpret as concern.

"Akani?" my mother asked softly. "You did so well, sweetie. Are you okay? Are you tired?"

I rapidly shook my head, my chest tight because I could _see_ my _parents_ and it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. "I-I can see you," I choked. "You… you're both…" I had no proper words so I raised my hand and pulsed my fingers in a rhythmic action, mimicking a heartbeat.

Their chakra froze a little in shock as I shuffled to my knees and crawled forward, my hand hesitantly reaching out towards my father's cheek. He didn't move, whether in surprise or curiosity I didn't know.

My hand made contact and chakra flared and I could make out the vague outlines of a pair of eyes, a nose and lips. His jaw had the barest hint of stubble. I was looking at my father's face for the first time, albeit a blue ghostly outline filled with pulsing warmth.

I couldn't help it. I leapt into his arms and cried, my mother softly stroking my hair and father rocking me back and forth.

I cried with relief at being able to recognise _blue_ and at how utterly spent I now was and all I wanted to do was crawl into my bed and sleep forever.

But as I felt my father tug my mother into a family hug, both of them trying to cover up sniffles, I couldn't bring myself to try and remove myself.

I fell asleep surrounded by love, feeling the most at peace I had in either of my lives.

* * *

Almost immediately after I unlocked my chakra my parents began teaching me control. Although I spent most of my time with my mother – my father still disappeared to do his job and I had yet to figure out what it was – both of them helped me immensely, taking my age and limitations into consideration.

A birthday had passed and another one loomed only a few months away, making me a proudly obnoxious four years and nine months old.

Twenty six years if you wanted to get technical.

My mother had explained to me that the humming blue I could see inside their bodies and, glancing down at myself, my own was chakra and to be able to make out individual features, such as those on a face, was incredibly rare. I was a chakra sensor with great control already, according to my mother, but it could always be refined.

So that's what I was taught, day after day. Control and refinement.

My father had me meditate to centre myself, saying that keeping calm and knowing the feel of my own chakra was essential. It was hard at first since I would always fidget but he was patient with me.

My mother had me spreading my senses out as far as I could go, to see how far my range was. I had gotten as far as just past the walls of our small house.

One interesting thing that I wanted to learn were the small ink marks around the house my mother hand painted onto the walls, mingling her and my father's blood into ink to make it glow a soft blue with their combined chakra. She placed them along every wall of the house and soon enough I could see the soft glow even if I wasn't focusing.

My mother had helped me gain a little bit of independence, allowing me to walk around my own home alone for the first time. I squealed excitedly when I could run through the halls and rooms without face planting into a wall.

My mother never told me why she had unlocked chakra, despite being a full time housewife now. My curiosity got the better of my one dreary afternoon when my father was still away and my mother was in the dining room, a small glowing pot of something she dipped a stick – _brush _ – into. I sat across from her, watching in amazement as soft glowing symbols shone against what I assumed to be paper.

Again there was that buzz in the back of my mind, a little louder this time but the words were hard to make out.

"What are you doing, kaa-chan?"  
"Practicing," she answered distantly. I could tell from her chakra she was extremely calm, as if this was soothing to her.

"Practicing what?" I traced a glowing symbol, happy when I could feel the smoothness of dry ink and paper. My mother gasped, her brush slipping across the paper and ruining her neat, trim handwriting. I withdrew my hand quickly. "Kaa-chan?"  
She was silent for long moments. "You can _see_ the symbols? As I write them?"  
I frowned. "Hai. They look like the ones you put onto the wall." I pointed to the ink pot. "That's glowing too."  
Her chakra quivered with an emotion I couldn't place. "Would… would you like to learn about this?" She waved a ghostly blue arm towards the symbols. "Mommy can teach you fuinjutsu if you want."  
"Fu… fuim… fumjustu?" I butchered the pronunciation, making my mother laugh.

"Fuinjutsu, sweetie. The art of sealing. It had run in my clan for generations and if you want, I can pass the knowledge on to you."  
My face brightened. I didn't notice she'd used past tense when she mentioned the whole clan. "Obaa-chan and ojii-san learned this too?" My mother rarely spoke about her parents – my grandparents – but when she did she withdrew into herself and became very upset. Her chakra wavered a little and her aqua-tinted smile seemed fake.

"Hai, Akani-chan. So, what do you say? Want me to teach you?"  
I nodded enthusiastically and darted around the table to sit on her lap, making myself comfortable. She placed the smooth brush in my hand, moving the ruined sheet of paper away to be replaced by a fresh one. She placed her hand over mine as a guide, the brush and blood-infused inkpot shimmering a soft blue with my mother's potent chakra.

"Now, pay close attention to the strokes and symbols I make, okay? I'll help you. We'll start with kanji."

* * *

My head swam with the wealth of information which I managed to absorb without much hassle. My blindness was obviously a hindrance, given how I only had the glow of the chakra to let me know how to draw a symbol but my kaa-chan was patient. She seemed to throw herself into teaching me about the skills of her – _my_ – family and I basked in the attention so I didn't notice when my father didn't return, even though he was a week overdue.

* * *

My mother woke me up in the dead of night, my useless eyes blinking open needlessly. I could tell something was wrong. Her chakra was a hectic mess and she was wearing a uniform of some sorts, the rough material scratching my bare skin as she lifted me onto her back and fled the house.

"K-kaa-ch-"

"Hush," she scolded, sounding harsher than I had ever heard her, even after I attempted to make a dress from her nicest tablecloth and stabbed myself with the needle repeatedly. That was a harsh lesson and I promptly ruled out becoming a tailor in the future.

I snuggled closer into her neck, breathing in the comforting scent of my mother. The wind whipped at my hair and I knew she was travelling at a speed faster than I thought she was capable of.

A sudden explosion close by startled me so much I shrieked into my mother's ear, making her growl and change directions suddenly.

In my fright I flared out my chakra, the landscape lighting up in pockmarked blue. One was my mothers.

I counted five I didn't know. They felt angry, eager… _bloodthirsty_.

"K-kaa-chan!" I cried, unable to stop the tears. I hugged her tighter as she tried to soothe me as best she could. I was young on this plane but I could recognise danger anywhere. "T-there's f-five of-"

A sharp whistle cut close by my ear and my mother trembled before seeming to steel herself. She darted behind something – a tree, I realised by the feel of the bark pressed against my back – and tucked me into the roots, doing her best to hide me.

She pressed a kiss to my forehead and it felt like a goodbye. I knew my eyes were wide with panic. Sight or no I was terrified. My comfort was leaving me and I didn't know what to do. I was helpless.

It was a horrible feeling.

My bottom lip quivered as I memorised my mother's chakra, so bright and warm and vibrant. "K-kaa-chan," I sobbed.

She brushed my hair away from my face tenderly, ignoring the far off sound of an explosion. Everything felt surreal. "I love you so much, Akani. Be a good girl and grow strong. I'll always be with you in here," she tapped my forehead, "and in here," she tapped my chest, right over my heart.

She pressed her lips to my forehead lightly, a ghostly touch. "Stay safe, my strong girl. I'll come back for you."

It was a useless promise and we both knew it, despite me being so young. I didn't believe her for a second.

She left and I pushed myself further into the earth and made myself as small as possible.

I heard my mother let out a battle cry, the unmistakable sound of metal against metal ringing out in the forest well into the dawn.

I stayed awake the whole time, not even daring to move.

* * *

It had been quiet for a while now. In my limited range I couldn't feel or see anyone. There was no flaring blue or sparks from an armed exploding tag. The battle had brushed against my range a few times but my mother tried her best to keep them away from me.

I didn't know what was going on.

Not really.

Again I felt that screaming in the back of my mind, urging me to find my mother for answers. It was too strong to deny.

Carefully, I unrolled my aching muscles, biting my tongue to stop from crying out. All I wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry and wait for this bad dream to end. My mother would still be there to wake me up with a gentle nudge, telling me breakfast was ready on the table.

My father would be already seated and waiting for his 'two favourite ladies' to join him.

We'd all still be a happy family because we would be together.

But that reality had been shattered and all I wanted was to bury myself in my mother's arms and hear her say my name one last time.

My footing was unsure as I tried to navigate the uneven ground. Chakra was in everything, my parents had told me. I was stretching out as far as I could, controlling and refining like my father had taught me, watching out for hints of blue like my mother had told me to do.

The trees glowed softly with living chakra that was a different shade of blue – more green, my foggy memory told me. I would have marvelled at the colour if I wasn't so determined to find my mother.

I tripped over something bulky and landed face first into the dirt with a cry of pain. I had to pinch my nose at the overwhelming smell of copper. My hand patted around in search for what I had tripped over and my hand came into contact with cool, soft flesh smattered with something wet.

I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat. It was a person.

Cold and still, and no chakra meant…

"No. Nonononono," I chanted softly, ignoring the smell now to search for the persons face. I had touched an arm, I soon realised. The person was twisted at an odd angle in death and I heaved until they lay on their back. With trembling hands I touched the persons face, dreading to find the familiar feel of my mother's nose or cheekbones or brow.

With a heavy sigh of relief I touched whiskers. A beard.

Definitely not my mother.

My fingers brushed over something metallic and I paused, tracing the indents with fascination. A hitai-ate, as my father had called it once. I briefly remembered feeling one on him when I was younger, the metal and cloth tied around his forehead proudly but I was too clumsy to make out the symbol he'd told me was etched there.

I traced four squiggly lines, two on top of two others. I frowned. Why did this feel so familiar to me?

_Shinobi_.

The dark whisper shot a bolt of electricity up my spine, making my small body stiffen.

_Shinobi… chakra… villages… violence… Madara… Six Paths… war… Eye of the Moon… Tobi… Kyuubi… Konoha… Naruto…_

My arm went limp with shock, my mind flitting through images and conversation and situations I knew were impossible because they were _fiction_ and unless I was really Tia and in some sort of weird coma-dream this reality should be purely _impossible_…

I traced the lines again, my blood turning to ice.

_Kirigakure… Yugara… Sanbi… Madara… control… bloodline purges…_

I scrambled to my feet, the hazy accusations of the shinobi attacking my mother hours before coming back to me. They had called her an abomination, a plight on the greatness of Kiri.

It didn't make sense before, but now…

I turned and blindly fled, my panic fuelling my sensing abilities. This was impossible. This whole _world_ should be impossible, but it wasn't. I was so confused. I needed something that felt solid and unchanging, something that had always been a constant in this life and the last, albeit in different bodies but the instinctual need was the same.

I needed my mother.

"Kaa-chan!" I screamed, my mind not processing that there could be more enemies still milling about. "_KAA-CHAN!_"

I was barely able to make it a few more steps before a flare of the dirtiest blue I had ever seen flittered into my field of vision.

There was a sharp pain in the side of my neck and I fell limp, darkness taking me over.

* * *

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	3. A sharp learning curve

**Can I just say that I'm feeling really loved right now? I only posted this story last night and it's already had quite a few hits :) Happy reading, ma peeps!**

* * *

When I came to all I could feel was pain. My whole body hurt, especially my chest. My heart felt like it was constricting because I couldn't feel my mother anywhere.

My mother was dead, killed in action and my father was most likely the same. My head pounded and I thanked whatever God was out there I was blind so I couldn't see if the world was as topsy turvy as I felt it to be at that moment. Besides the aching pain I felt cold. I wrapped my small arms around my body and flared my chakra, only to cry out in pain as fire replaced the chill. I felt like I was roasting alive so I cut off my sensing, only to choke out a sob of relief when the heat stopped.

Then the fear settled in.

I couldn't use my chakra. No chakra meant no sensing. No sensing meant no sight.

I was truly blind once more, and it was entirely against my power. After so many months of being able to _see_ and to _feel_ and to have it taken away by a stranger in the blink of an eye was a horrifying thought so I cut that train of thought off before I could have a panic attack.

"You okay?"

I jumped, startled by the small voice that was right next to me. It sounded like a boy since it was slightly too deep to be a girl. I hadn't even felt him approach. I was _helpless_ and _scared_ and I didn't know this boy.

With that thought circling in my mind – _I don't know you, I don't know you, _I don't know you! – I scrabbled backwards until my back met harsh brick. I hissed as a jagged piece poked my ribs through my thin nightgown. My robe had been taken off of me.

"Where are you?" I hissed, ears straining to find a trace of sound.

There was a slight rustle of clothing. "Uh… don't you mean 'who are you?'" came the reply.

I shook my head, narrowing my gaze towards the voice. "Where and who are you?"

There was a scrape of knees on the floor as the boy crawled closer to me, making me stiffen. I felt a soft breeze waft my face, confusing me for a moment before I realised what he was doing. I scowled and slapped my hand out, fingers brushing against skin. The flare of blue was so minute I would have missed it if it wasn't so damn dark.

"Yes, I'm blind and you can stop waving your hand in front of my face."  
The boy cleared his throat in embarrassment but he did as I asked. "R-right. Sorry." There was tense silence. "So, what's your name?"  
I sniffed, turning my face away from the boy, my nose brushing against another wall. I was close to being tucked into the corner of the room. "I don't talk to strangers."  
The boy snorted. "Who taught you that?"  
"My mother," I snapped before I realised what I said. I felt the blood rush away from my face and memories of my family attacked my mind. "M-my k-kaa-chan. She… She's-" I choked on a sob and couldn't continue. Tears tracked down my face and I tucked my legs into my chest, my head buried into my knees. I wanted to hide.

I felt a small body press against mine before a thin arm wrapped me in an embrace. I soaked in the feeling, unable to do much of anything else. Being blind made me a physical person, always having to touch and feel and smell because that was how I perceived the world around me. Someone could say something was soft because they _saw_ that it was, but I'd have to touch to find out. Someone could _say_ that strawberries smelled delicious from simply looking at the stall from across the road because they _remembered _but I'd have to venture a sniff for myself to know.

It was a far cry from how I'd been in my last life, avoiding people like the plague. I found it to not be all that bad.

I leaned into the boy, a silent thank you passing between us until I cried myself to sleep and he stroked my hair like my mother used to do.

I still didn't learn his name.

* * *

As I slept I was assaulted with dreams and flashing pictures of this new world of shinobi. It was violent and secrets ran deep, extending out even after a century had passed. I couldn't recall everything in minute detail, having only read the manga and watched the anime in my spare time which was few and far between. My adult mind filtered through my knowledge and reasoned it had all begun with the legendary feud between Madara and Hashirama Senju, that they were the key to what was about to happen in the world. Their legacies wouldn't ever die.

The Curse of Hatred and the Will of Fire; Uchiha and Senju.

I had a vague idea of what was to happen, or what had happened…

I had to find out exactly where and when I was.

But could I actually change things? Was that the reason I was here right now? I thought that I was able to keep my past memories for a reason, but I had no clue what that was. The prospect of trying to change and save the world was huge, daunting and terrifying.

I was still a little girl, and the thought of war and bloodshed made me cringe in fear. Courage would come with time, I tried to assure myself, but it didn't work most of the time.

I knew I had an advantage, being able to know the things that I did.

However, they were useless if the Fourth War had been and gone already but my gut said it was still looming somewhere along the horizon.

From what I could gather from my companion whose name I still didn't know we were locked in a cell. He told me there was no windows to see the sunlight so all we had to go on for time was the routine when he would scramble over to me and huddle close, hiding me from the view of something that paced outside of the bars.

When they passed he would relax and tell me it was nothing, his voice wistful and thankful. I didn't know what was going on since he refused to tell me. Food was scarce, only delivered twice a day and it was always bland but thankfully my cellmate didn't take advantage of my blindness. He would always split it evenly.

I still had to figure out why I, a blind girl, was taken.

"Are we… prisoners in war?" I asked the boy one day, trying to remember the words I'd heard my father mumbling to my mother once. My mind could finally wrap around the concept of war, even if I couldn't really accept it just yet.

The boy snorted. He was a little older than me, therefore wiser apparently. "Prisoners _of_ war, you mean."  
"Yeah."  
He was silent for a long time. "I don't know."

I frowned. "What do you mean you don't know? Isn't Kiri fighting against people with special blood powers right now?"  
"… Kiri?"  
I rolled my sightless eyes in his general direction. "Where we are, stupid." I figured I hadn't been unconscious too long, therefore I couldn't have been taken too far. Getting out of Water Country wasn't an easy feat.

"… We're not in Kiri anymore," he said softly. "We're on the mainland, but… I'm not really sure where we are."

I felt my blood run cold, the memory of the Elemental Nation's map floating across my mind. The gap from Water to any other nation was a large one, across the ocean and the whirlpools as far as I knew. I would have been unconscious for _days_.

"W-what?" My home was gone. Logically I knew it wasn't the best place to be, what with the purges and all but the house I grew up in was there. All of my memories were there.

There was a soft shifting noise as the boy lay down and rolled over on his sleeping mat. "Just get some sleep. You'll need your energy."

I did as I was told and tried to keep the volume of my crying down low.

* * *

A rough hand dug into my long hair and pulled, waking me up with a sharp cry of pain. The boy was always nice to me so I knew it couldn't have been him. I was lifted almost off my feet and my hands scratched desperately at whatever was holding me, trying to relieve the pressure being placed on my scalp. It didn't work.

"Let her go!"

I could hear through my own cries the sound of flesh meeting flesh with a loud crack and the boy groaned in pain. I struggled harder, nails digging into calloused skin.

"No! Lemme go! Ow! Lemme go!"

I was ignored and all but dragged by my hair out of the cell if the clanging of the bars was any indication. My sightless eyes were wide and welling with tears and I hoped the boy was looking through the bars, trying to reach me as desperately as I was trying to reach him.

He was my comfort in this cold place.

But I couldn't do anything because I was so damn helpless.

My feet were sore and bleeding by the time I was tossed to the floor, my scalp aching from the pulled and separated strands. I tucked into a ball and hoped I was small enough I couldn't be seen.

It was a fruitless wish. A cold hand smoothed my bangs from my face and I cringed away from the touch. There was a soft huffing noise, someone laughing softly at me.

"Now, now, there's no need to cry. I'm sorry he treated you so harshly." The voice sent a shudder down my spine. It sounded like a hoarse hiss. "Come, child, I have a soft bed here for you to sleep on. Would you like that?"  
My mind was a chaotic mess and the thought of snuggling into warm blankets and sleeping for a year was a tempting offer, one I didn't refuse. If this man could take me away from that dank place then I wouldn't complain or question his kindness.

It would be my first of many lessons about deception.

Strong arms lifted me and I instinctively wrapped an arm around his neck, feeling long strands of hair tickle my arm. The moment my fingers touched his skin there was a flare of blue, soft enough for me to glimpse his ghostly features and I froze.

He was smiling, just a tilt of the lips, but it was terrifying. My mind screamed at me to run away and my instincts followed not soon after and I began to squirm in his arms. This man was going to hurt a lot of people. I didn't know how I knew but it was as sure as the darkness I lived in.

His arms tightened around me and then I knew I wasn't getting away, but not from lack of trying.

By the time he tossed me onto a hardened surface I was happy to say I'd put up a valiant effort for freedom by trying to claw his face off. I was a brawler, apparently, and unpredictable if the glowing line of wet blue running down his cheek was any indication. He moved silently like a predator but even a lion can be caught off guard if you had enough luck.

Suddenly one pair of hands became several and I was pinned down and strapped onto a table. I began to hyperventilate, all manners of situations flitting through my head from the gruesome to the painful.

I wasn't getting out of this unmarked and when a syringe was pressed into the vein on my arm I screamed until I blacked out.

* * *

I didn't even struggle as I was dragged down the hall. My body hurt too much and my scalp had already gone numb. My body felt… warped and I could feel something wrong inside of me. I had spent so long familiarising myself with my own chakra and flow that I knew when something was wrong. Those short hours had changed something in my body and I wasn't sure if it would ever change back.

There was a shriek and grind of the metal bars being opened and I was tossed in, sent tumbling over the harsh rock to lie in a heap against the wall. The door banged shut and the steps receded, followed by the frenzied shuffle of feet and cloth.

Small hands lifted my head to rest on a pair of small knees as the boy brushed my sweaty hair away from my face. He was crying if his sniffles and the scent of salt was anything to go by.

So was I but I didn't care. I felt too feverish to care about much of anything anymore.

I tried to tell him something but my voice came out hoarse and choked.

"W-what?" His voice sounded similar to mine.

"M-my name is-"

He cut me off. "I don't want to know." The confusion and hurt must have shown on my face and I touched his bare knee, feeling his chakra thrum beneath my fingers, albeit suppressed. It was in pain. "I shared this room with a kid not too long ago," he gently explained, "I learned his name and he learned mine. He was my first friend here."  
"What h-hap-happened?" I was shivering now. He drew me closer and he didn't seem to realise it.

"He was taken… and he didn't come back." I was smart enough to connect the dots. "That's why I don't want to know your name. It'll just hurt in the end if…" He trailed off.

It was then I realised he had been forced to grow up so much quicker than I had, even if he was older than me. He had to live the rest of his life with his first friends name on his conscience and carry around the guilt of knowing he died in this place while he still lived.

That's if he got out of this place alive.

I wasn't sure if I was going to live after this. Maybe I wasn't supposed to be here after all.

"What was his name?" I whispered.

He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer but he did eventually, voice small and full of pain.

"Tenzo. His name was Tenzo."

"… Will you tell me about him?" I chattered through full-body chills. I clenched my jaw to stop the noise. It didn't really work, the noise was only muffled. I hoped he'd tell me about his friend so I could share his pain. We were too young to carry this burden by ourselves.

"… Okay."

I fell asleep to the sound of his voice.

* * *

"A-ano…"

"What?"  
"… Can I touch your face?"  
"… Uh, what?"  
I felt my cheeks burn and picked at a loose thread I could feel on the hem of my dirty nightgown. "N-never mind," I mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed.

The silence felt awkward, even to my young self until my cellmate huffed and scooted closer to me. I could feel the little warmth he was exuding on my arm, letting me know he was sitting close to me.

"F-fine, just hurry up," he muttered. I could hear how uncomfortable he was.

I cleared my throat. "You need to guide my hands," I said softly.

He answered with an intelligent, "Huh?"

I rolled my sightless eyes, turning my face towards him. "I'm _blind_, stupid." To further point out the fact I waved my hand in front of my face, my eyes unblinking and unseeing. "Do you _want_ me to poke an eye out?"  
Grumbling under his breath he gently clasped my wrists and guided my hands to his face. My finger tips touched soft skin but I could feel the grittiness of dirt and grime that had accumulated in his time locked away. I ghosted over his cheeks, nose and lips, frowning a little as they puckered into a grimace.

"What?" I asked.

"It feels… weird," he answered, my fingers moving with his speech.

I giggled. "Sorry, but it's how I know what you look like."

He was silent after that, and more relaxed, allowing me to paint a picture of his face. His lips were soft and I could tell he would have a wide, bright smile. His nose was straight and jaw line strong for his age. My hands drifted towards his hair. It was a little matted but was long enough to skim his brows and the back of his neck.

My fingers slid from his face and I offered him a smile. "Thank you."

"You're so weird."  
I smiled brighter and I could almost hear him rolling his eyes.

"What's it like? Being blind?"

I shrugged. "It's okay I guess. I don't know what it's like to see… My kaa-chan used to say the colour I was seeing was black, but then I started to see chakra and she told me it was blue so… they're the only colours I really know."

"Oh."

"What colours do you have?"

"Huh?"  
"You know," I pressed, "Your hair, skin, eyes. What colour are they?"  
"Oh, um… I have brown hair and brown eyes and my skin is kinda whitish-pinky-light brown… I think."  
My mind sifted through the colours and objects I associated them with. "Brown like tree bark?"  
He shrugged, his arm brushing against mine. "I guess."  
"… Can you tell me what I look like?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I failed.

"Well… You have red hair. Like, _really dark_ red hair and you have whitish skin. Kinda like mine but a bit paler."  
"What about my eyes?" I whispered, unsure if I really wanted to know.

"They're light blue and look kinda milky."  
I frowned. "That's not normal, is it?"  
"I don't know. Yours are the first I've seen like that. I never saw eyes like yours, even when I was in the orphanage."  
My mouth opened in shock. It was the first time I'd heard the boy speak about his past at all. During our conversations it was always me regaling him with stories of my time with my parents. If he grew up in an orphanage then that meant he had no parents. If he had no parents then that meant he was alone. I considered him my friend, since he was the only person around my age that I had talked to so often. My parents had been hesitant to let me out of the house to play with other kids.

The purges explained their caution. Spies could have been anywhere and what better way to break a family than to go for the weakest link?

The biggest question I had on my mind right now was whether he considered me a friend or not. True, we didn't know each other's names but we didn't need to know that to be friends.

Right?

"You-"

"Just forget I said anything," he snapped harshly, making me shrink back. He'd obviously not meant to reveal anything like that but it had just slipped out. The warmth left my side and he retreated back to his side of the cell.

I felt colder than I had in a long time because now I knew.

He was closely guarding his heart and even after the time we'd spent together, being each other's rocks, I hadn't made it in.

In his eyes, I wasn't his friend.

And that hurt.

* * *

The metal cuffs were cold and biting on my wrists and ankles and I couldn't help but hyperventilate. I had been dragged from the cell and placed on the cold, hard ground on my knees instead of on a gurney. I was terrified because the routine was broken and a broken routine meant something new and unknown. The darkness that I was so used to now seemed like a dangerous place because a predator lurked within the shadows.

Sometimes I think whoever stuck the needles in me liked to watch me jump in fright. They would place a tool down a little too hard or rattle something around a little too loud and since my sensitive hearing picked up almost _everything_ and fear only increased my awareness, I was sure I was a nice little piece of entertainment.

I was surprised that I could hear anything above my racing heartbeat.

I heard a door open and close somewhere nearby and soft footfall shortly after. I wasn't an idiot. My parents had been ninja – no use denying it – and I only ever heard their footsteps because they _allowed_ me to. I was being played with and the knowledge made me feel nauseous.

My skin prickled with awareness as someone was suddenly crouching in front of me, their warm breath brushing across my face. It made me want to puke even more. A rough, calloused hand gripped me by my elbow and I felt the sharp sting of a needle. I hissed at the roughness. I'd learnt not to cry out anymore.

"You've been very cooperative, haven't you?" the voice – a man – said with a sick sense of pride tinting his voice. "Today you're going to show me something. If I don't like it, then something bad will happen."  
My whole body went numb. That sounded ominous. "Wh-what will you-"

I was silenced by a rough hand slapped across my mouth making me cry a little in pain and shock. My eyes watered but it did nothing to ease the oppression of the never ending black.

"Do as you're told and I won't have to kill you," the man stated simply. "And your little cellmate," he added, almost like an easy afterthought.

I didn't want to die and I most certainly didn't want someone else dying because of me, someone I considered a friend even if he didn't return the sentiment. I wanted to find something worth living for and I couldn't do that if I was six feet under. I gave him a fast, shaky nod and the hand was removed, followed by the rush of heat as my chakra suppression seal was removed.

The familiar hum, once so quiet, sounded too loud in my ears and I whimpered. Pins and needles dotted my body and I sent out a wave of chakra on instinct. My range was limited to only a metre radius after such a time out of practice and the quick pain of my flooded chakra coils.

"Mold some chakra," the man intoned from somewhere in the room, his voice echoing off the walls. When did he move so far away? How big was this room, anyway?

I did as I was told.

The hum was replaced by fire ten times hotter and a hundred times harsher than when I tried to mold my energy with the suppression seal on. The feeling of _wrongness_ had returned and I was more aware of it now.

I wasn't the same Akani. They had taken me, twisted me and shaped me into something perverse and the worst part? I had no idea what I was now.

The world flickered a dirty, mottled blue as chakra flooded the immediate area around me, sapping me of my strength.

I collapsed into the welcoming darkness to the sounds of a pleased chuckle.

* * *

The first sign that something was wrong with me was when the fever wouldn't go away. My skin was on fire but I felt like pure ice had been injected in my veins and I couldn't get warm. I hadn't even been able to move when my cellmate had been dragged away.

A lance of pain radiating from my stomach made me whimper and curl into myself.

It always started in my stomach, where my chakra was and I felt it become erratic and prickly as it spread.

My muscles clenched so tight and I swore I heard a crack but everything was just pain and heat. Memories of the world spinning and glass shattering sped across my mind and I felt my breaths go shallow. I was panting and there didn't seem to be enough _air_.

I didn't even notice when the cell opened and a body was tossed against my own, exacerbating my already sore body.

I didn't notice when two fingers touched the side of my neck to check my pulse, and confirm that I didn't have long left and that I was a 'failure.'

I didn't notice when small, shaking hands gingerly touched my face and a young, scared voice begged me to wake up.

I didn't even notice when a loud bang and a rush of fire signalled people coming to the rescue.

What I did notice was when the chakra suppressant I'd been re-branded with shattered, the world lit up blue and I could actually _see_ something.

I looked up into the shining blue of my rescuer – a man – and I reached out to touch the sharp features with a small hand.

His chakra froze in shock as he looked down at me, taking note of my milky eyes as I whispered a 'thank you' because I didn't want to die alone again.

I still had so many regrets…

I drifted further into the black to the scream of 'Medic!'

* * *

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	4. The first sign of insanity

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**I really suck at writing author's notes so... yeah... O_o**

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**ONWARDS!**

* * *

My back hurt.

Why does my back hurt?  
Come to think of it, shouldn't everything hurt right now?

Why should anything hurt at all?  
Oh… right. I was a lab rat for some sick weirdo. And I was lying down on a hard surface. Hopefully not the steel gurney again. I hated that thing. I hated the cold cell even more, but my fri- _cellmate_ made it bearable.

Where am I? Who knows? I can't see a damn thing anyways. It's dark, I suppose.

My lips quirked before I slapped my hands onto my face, the sound of flesh on flesh reverberating through… wherever I was. It was a poor effort to try and wake myself up.

Was I sleeping?

I wasn't dead again was I?  
"Kami, that sounds so weird," I said aloud, only to frown beneath my fingers. My voice sounded weird, like a mash up of my own and something else. Why was my voice weird? "What the hell is going on?"

I was pretty sure I was alone.

And talking to myself.

Wasn't that the first sign of insanity?

"Well, don't you look all chipper, Flipper," a familiar-yet-not voice answered with a hint of amusement. I was gearing up for a sassy retort – _who the hell is 'Flipper?!' _– when I felt a shift in my mind and my bravado left me. I was a bereft, scared, blind five year old once more with someone I didn't know – but somehow, I _did_ know them – nearby. There was a hint of laughter and the familiarity of it made me want to cry. Not because I recognised it, but because I _knew_ and couldn't pinpoint _how_ I knew.

I sat up – why was I lying down? – and twisted my head left and right, my ears straining to hear the slight shift of clothing or the muffled footfalls of whoever this other person was. But there was nothing.

"Who are you?" I demanded, much to the amusement of my unfortunate company.

"I am you."  
Okay. Wait, what? "Huh?"  
The laughter was getting closer and that meant so was the person. I stiffened, my flight or fright response going haywire because I knew this stranger in some way but my kaa-chan had already told me to stay away from people I didn't know.

I was torn in two different directions. What the hell should I do? Make a run for it? Would this stranger let me go, or chase after me? I could tell they were an adult so catching me would be a piece of cake.

What were their intentions with a five year old blind girl, anyway?

I sure was popular all of a sudden…

"I. Am. You," repeated the voice, slower this time as if my mentality had sunk lower than my five years in the last thirty seconds.

I rolled my sightless eyes. "Heard you the first time and it still doesn't make sense."  
That damned laugh again. I suppressed a growl of annoyance.

"I'm having a hard time remembering if I was that sassy when I was your age. You know, when I was five the first time around. Probably was. Probably ate glue, too. Hm, I should probably apologise to mom and dad for having to put up with me, actually."

I frowned. What the hell was this lunatic going on about? Five years old the _first time around_? That didn't make any sense.

"I don't understand," I mumbled. All this craziness was making my head hurt and _where the hell am I?!_

"No, I don't suppose you would just yet," the person replied, closer now and I could tell it was an older woman since the echoing stopped. "Can I ask you something?"

I grunted. I couldn't really stop this loon from talking anyways.

Wasn't I in a cell?  
Did I get free somehow?

What was I thinking about, again?

"Ever had flashes of memories that aren't really yours?" the woman asked, sounding as if she knew the answer already. I nodded hesitantly. Where was this going? "Thought so. Well, to put it simply I wasn't lying when I said I was you. I'm just… not you. You with me so far?"

I rubbed my temples like my tou-san did whenever I annoyed him. "Kinda," I admitted. The words registered but the order didn't.

"You're a smart kid Akani," the woman said, making me stiffen. How did she know my name? There was a shuffle in front of me and suddenly there was a warm hand on top of my hand, ruffling my hair. Funnily enough I didn't shrink away from the touch.

"My name is Tia and I am, for all intents and purposes, _you_. But… not. I don't really understand it either but I dunno… Maybe I'm like, your conscience or something… If I am then I feel sorry for you, kid."

I blinked. This woman was Tia? The stranger who happened to be my past life, Tia? But… How was that possible?

"I have no clue," Tia replied. I must have voiced my question. Woops.

"Woops, indeed. Now, I have no idea how the hell I got here, kid, but-"

I slapped her hand away which was still ruffling my hair and glared up to where I hoped she was. "My name is _Akani! A-kan-i!_"

Tia snorted. "Right, my bad _Akani-chan_. Man, this feels so weird. Making fun of my chibi self. We don't look alike though which I guess makes sense. Different parents and whatever. Hmm…" She trailed off, obviously lost in thought and I began to think of how to rationalise the situation.

I may be young but being locked in a cell with an older boy who was far more mature than he should have been made me grow up fast. I'd always been analytical, what with the blindness and having to figure things out for myself. I assessed and gathered information differently to everyone else. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing I wasn't sure since I somehow had memories of both sight and non-sight. Sometimes I missed the colours from my dreams so much I would be crying when I woke up. What I could gather from my memories of – _as_ – Tia, she worked with codes and technology where your thought process had to be lightning quick.

My body may have been small but my mind was sharp, even though I was a little naïve due to age. I pushed the memories of the horrible cell and week old bread away, emotionally detaching myself from the situation to observe it apathetically.

Being emotional was what got me get caught in the first place. I had run around screaming out for my mother in the aftermath of a bloody death battle and had been captured.

No. I'd learn control. Control and refinement, just like kaa-chan and tou-san taught me.

A part of me was scared of my reaction, screaming that a five year old shouldn't be acting like that but it was drowned out by my determination to act and be more adult than what I actually was.

"Maybe we have the same soul or whatever," Tia mused out loud.

I perked up. "What do you mean?"  
"Well," Tia began, taking a seat opposite me. I could feel her knees brush against mine. "We don't look alike and we don't have the same parents. Hell, we don't even _live_ in the same _dimension_. But here we are. My theory is that we have the same soul. I never believed in reincarnation but I guess I'm wiser in death, huh?" she chuckled dryly, making me shift awkwardly.

"So… we're different… but at the same time, we're the same?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around the word 'reincarnation.'

"Yup," Tia said, popping the 'p.' "Say, what is it like having super awesome ninja powers? I was always too lazy to go outside when trying to hack into the state- never mind."

"I'm five," I deadpanned.

I didn't have much time to think about how I was talking maturely with a woman older than me. In this place I felt older and knew more than I should. I could think clearer.

That thought pattern bought me full circle. _Where the hell am I?!_

"Psh, as far as I know that hunk Hatake was five when he became a genin and a chunin a year later," Tia said airily.

I was confused for a moment on who exactly 'Hatake' was when a dull throb echoed in my skull, followed by a plethora of pictures and a voice of a man I didn't know but somehow I did. The knowledge seemed to flow more seamlessly, the pictures a little brighter than when I first came to realise exactly _where_ I had been reborn. I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. The pounding wouldn't stop.

Tia leant forward to gently rub my back. It was soothing, if just a little awkward. She obviously wasn't used to comforting a child, regardless if we were the same-yet-not person.

"That memory kick-back is a bitc- I mean, a pain, huh?" Tia huffed out a laugh and I pouted. "No need to look like such a sullen Sally, little bit."  
I opened my mouth to ask her if she was sane when something occurred to me. "How are you here?"  
"… huh?"  
"If you're… you know, _dead_, then how are you here? Am I still in the cell?"  
"What are you talking about? We're in a blah place full of white. What are you? Blind or something?"  
"Yes! I. Am. Blind!" I yelled, my voice echoing around. Honestly, did she not realise that when my eyes wouldn't focus on her or when I reacted strangely to her close presence?

"… Oh. My bad. Come to think of it, I was wondering why your eyes looked funny." I bit my tongue to stop myself from physically harming her… me. "Sorry, Akani-chan. I probably sound like a jerk but I'm just unsure of how to go about this weird… reunion thing, you know? I deal with awkward situations weirdly."  
"I'll say," I mumbled quietly but I'm sure she heard me.

She ignored it. "So… about _how _and _why_ I'm here, my guess is as good as yours. I think we're in limbo, the place where souls go between life and death before passing on. Maybe I'm supposed to be your guardian angel or voice of wisdom!" She giggled and clapped happily. I didn't share her enthusiasm.

"Goody."  
"You're a rude little brat, you know that?" Tia said with no real heat in her words. If anything she sounded amused. "It's good to handle situations like this with an attitude like that as long as you realise when to tone down the sarcasm. Words of wisdom. I'm so smart. Now! My theory is we're _both_ in limbo because _you're_ so close to death, what with the messed up life-giving-energy-because-of-the-experiments thing and _I'm_ in limbo because I haven't completed a certain task or whatever. It's usually how it's explained in the movies, anyway."  
I frowned. "So… does this mean I'm…" I swallowed thickly. "Dying?" _Again_.

Tia laughed heartily and patted my head like I was something amusing. Then again, I probably was to her. "Heavens no. You're in a hospital in a coma right now. Come to think of it, how did I know that? Some weird juju right there. Moving on! Basically, because of your heritage you were caught up in the beginnings of the bloodline purges. From what I can guess, since Yugara the Sanbi jinchuriki was actually Mizukage and being controlled by _Tobi_, who by the way hasn't even _become_ yet, my guess is that there was always a rebel faction that simply gained steam with the backing of the puppet leader. With me so far?"  
"Yes." Surprisingly. Wait, Tobi was still Obito? That meant the timeline was either just before or at the start of the Third War. I was mildly surprised I wasn't hyperventilating at the thought.

My mind felt calmer, the throbbing having gone as soon as she started to talk. Maybe, somehow, Tia and I were connected on this plane, our memories and mindset merging yet remaining separate.

"Right. If I was to hazard a guess I'd say you have Uzumaki heritage, even though your hair is so dark red it looks almost black. It's actually a really pretty colour. Even more unbelievable is it's natural. My hair is just some lame mousy brown. Aw man, and I'll never be able to dye it again!"  
"As fun as this conversation is can we get back on topic, please?" I asked. How was I, a five year old, so much more mature than this woman?

Tia coughed and laughed a little sheepishly. I could almost see her scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Right, right, my bad."  
"Stop saying 'my bad'!"

"Sheesh, tough crowd. Right, well, as you know you're in a coma in a hospital but I don't know where exactly. Hopefully it's the Leaf village but if it's not then you need to get there as soon as possible. All this crap started well before the villages founding with the Leaf smack-dab centre but a few key players need to be noted."  
"Like who?" This was getting interesting. I liked interesting things.

"Well, the Uchiha for starters. Obito, AKA Tobi, supposedly dies in the Third war and goes haywire under the tutelage of corpsey-Madara after seeing his teammate-slash-first love killed by his best friend, Hatake-hunk."  
"So… you want me to save Obito somehow?"  
"No." The utter seriousness in her voice startled me.

"Whaa? But… without Obito turning evil, won't all of the bad stuff stop?"  
"Hardly. If it's not Obito then it will be someone else. If it's Obito, you have an advantage. If it's Obito, then the future _you_ know of won't change. Things have to stay the same and for this to happen, sacrifices have to be made."

My bottom lip trembled and I felt my eyes dampen. The reality of the situation hit me like a tonne of bricks. This was all real. I knew things. Helpful and horrible and happy things and I had the ability to somehow put plans in motion to make the future better.

But if I got it wrong, or my knowledge was somehow found out by the wrong people then things could go from bad to worse very quickly.

"It's wrong," I heard myself say, voice wavering. "Playing with people's lives is just…"  
Tia sighed. "I know but I can't think of anything else, Akani. All I can do is offer you some advice. Don't falter. At all. If you waver and break, spilling this information willy-nilly then things will be bad. You'd either be locked up in the loony-bin or mind-raped by that dick, Danzo and his little robot cronies. You need to be subtle. Be the person others look to for advice, or for comfort, or to simply vent to. You may not have all the answers but the fact that you sort of _know_ these people is already a plus."  
I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "But… I don't know _how_."  
"It'll come with time. Be fair, but also firm. Don't treat this life lightly because I know I regret not doing much with my own. Make friends, fall in love and be weird. Confide in someone you trust absolutely but who also has the wisdom to give you advice. My knowledge is your knowledge, Akani-chan."

"I… I-"

"It's a lot of pressure, I know," Tia soothed, her hands gripping my shoulders tightly. "But I believe in you. I believe in _us_, because _we_ are one smart kid."  
I gave her a watery smile, nodding stiffly. Her advice made sense, even though I didn't like it but I was literally and figuratively flying blind. Events had already been put into place – some I couldn't stop – but I did have the ability to be the presence people turned to.

I could use that to my advantage.

I should feel sick for how I was planning ahead on how to emotionally manipulate people but I couldn't bring myself to regret what I had to do, even if it went against my morals. Sacrifice my mental and emotional well-being for the sake of saving thousands of people?  
I could do that.

I had no other choice.

"Look, Akani, this is a lot of pressure. _Too much_ pressure, especially for a little kid but you have to understand that as tempting it is to let things run its course as per canon, you and you alone have the ability to make a difference in someone's life no matter how small."

"I… I'll try," I whispered, not feeling at all confident. My voice seemed to have left me suddenly.

"Good," Tia murmured. I could hear the pride in her – my? – voice. "One last piece of advice though? Don't be the hero. Leave that to the big-wigs and chakra monsters like Killer B and Naruto. Oh, and do as much as you can about that stick up the Uchiha brother's asses, you know? It can't be comfortable. Just be smart about it, okay?"  
Had the conversation not been so serious and frightening I would have quipped back something about her implying that I was stupid. Then again, I was only a kid. Stupidity came with the (lack of) age, unfortunately. I gave her a nod anyways, keeping quiet. She wasn't telling me anything I hadn't already thought about.

"Good. It's almost time for me to go. I can feel it in me bones!" Tia chuckled.

Panic seized me and I reached out, my hand punching her gut a little as I tried to grab her shirt. "Wait! I… I don't think I can do this! Not without you! You know so much more than me! Stay!" In the short time we'd been together I'd grown attached to her – myself.  
Tia sighed long and hard. "I'll always be with you since I kinda _am_ you, little bit. I trust you. Have a little faith in yourself, hey? It's time for me to go now but I guess I can give you a parting gift, to keep that fog back."  
I frowned, not quite understanding. "Whaa?"

The gentle tingle of Tia's lips on my forehead smoothed out my frown and I felt the mental fog lift, the important memories of what I needed to know – and _only_ what I needed to know – remained. My hand, which was previously clutching Tia's shirt, started to slip through the air, her form becoming intangible beneath my fingers.

"Good luck, little bit. Time to go to the other side. For both of us" Her voice seemed to echo and I was alone once more, left to my thoughts in this dark, white space.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, contemplating everything but soon enough my body felt weighty and the non-temperature of the blankness was replaced by a soft breeze.

I was back in the land of the living, where I was entrusted to make a difference and the burden was large and placed squarely on my shoulders.

And I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

* * *

**Lemme know what you think! :)**


	5. A case of mistaken identity

**You know, I had an epiphany the other day. Reviews don't make me happy. FAVS and FOLLOWS do, and all I can say is that I'm pretty freaking happy right now!**

**Id pinch all your cheeks if I could!**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

How I woke up was strange, I decided. I'd been weightless in limbo, conversing with my past self and suddenly I was aware of everything around me. My body was sore and limbs heavy but I was awake and aware so that was a plus.

I almost cried when I realised I was in a _bed_.

In a hospital after waking from a coma, but a bed was a bed and it felt like it had been years since I slept in one. I didn't care if the mattress was stiff and the sheets crisp and starchy. It was more comfy than a cold, stone floor.

My chakra felt twitchy and made me uneasy after finding comfort in the soft hum for so long. I tried to mold some, only to cringe as pain lanced my stomach. It wasn't as worse as the time I was forced to mold it but it still smarted. I hoped that meant I was on the mend.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself before molding it once more, sending my senses out. The darkness all around me lit up like the night sky and I was left breathless. I'd never seen so many large chakra signatures. I felt giddy and almost bounced out of the hospital bed.

A large flare of blue made me snap to my right, my sightless eyes widening and becoming damp. Only one person I knew had a signature that vibrant and warm.

"_Kaa-chan_," I whispered brokenly.

A smile split my face and I slid from the bed, all but ripping the IV drip from the crook of my elbow. I didn't register the sting or the blood running down my arms. My excitement had grown until I was almost hyperventilating with the need to get to my mother.

The world around me was still spotted blue but there were no seals lining the walls to help me. I was stuck flailing wildly at the air in front of me, feet slapping against the tiled floor.

My hands struck hardness – a wall – and I quickly jogged along, finding the door and pulling it open, thankful it was unlocked.

My mother was nearby.

My heart fluttered erratically in my chest and I didn't even stop to think that the other blue spots were _shinobi_. My mother was still alive and I could almost feel her arms around my small body and smell her unique scent of home-cooking and dew.

My right arm was outstretched to touch the wall, keeping me on track so I didn't run into any walls while my left was out in front of me to search for obstacles.

I twisted and turned through the hallways and the pulsing blue got closer.

My fingers touched air and I followed the curve of the hallway.

_So close_, I mentally whimpered.

"Kaa-chan!" I called. I didn't care if I was in a hospital. She was _so damn close_.

Immediately the surrounding blue spots halted and twisted towards me but I ignored them because my mother's blue had stopped too. _And she was coming towards me! _My cheeks were hurting from how much I was smiling and tears started to roll down my face.

The vibrant blue was only a few feet in front of me now and I laughed as I barrelled into her, wrapping my slim arms around her torso. She stiffened. I cried and cried, snuggling closer into her warm blue.

"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! I'm sorry I didn't stay where you told me to! But I-"

"Wh-"

"- only came to find you because you were gone so long and-"

"B-b-but I-"

"-then I was taken and they hurt me but that's okay because I'm better and you're here now! Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! I love you! I missed you so much!" My voice trembled and I soaked the front of my mother's shirt. I hugged her tighter, not wanting to let go. "I missed your blue."

I'd already had to do that once and I wasn't doing that again.

"W-w-what the hell, -ttebane?"

I froze, my breath hitching in my throat.

That wasn't my mother's voice.

I inhaled, taking a small step back.

It wasn't my mother's scent.

I flared my chakra and took a closer look.

The blue was similar, but instead of pulsing warmth it was like a controlled high-pressured flow through large pipes, steady and strong.

My arms fell to my sides, embarrassment and shock making my knees weak.

This wasn't my mother.

This was a stranger. The shock made it easy to halt the scream of knowledge in the back of my mind. My breath was coming in short, shallow gasps now and I began to shake. I thought I had found my comfort but I was wrong. I was so desperate to get to the blue that reminded me of my mother I didn't think to double-check.

I'd gone months without the tender touch of my mother and I craved it like a body craved food and air.

But this woman wasn't my mother. I didn't know her.

_I don't know you! I don't know you! _I don't know you!

"Y-you're not my… kaa-chan?" It came out as a question rather than a statement. False hope, I supposed.

"N-no, I… are you lost, little one?" The woman sounded kind, if just a bit shocked. She'd just had a random five year old spear-tackle-hug her and call her 'kaa-chan.' I'd be freaked out too if I was in her shoes but I wasn't.

Because I was the one who made the mistake.

Regardless, I didn't feel like I was in any danger.

I shook my head rapidly, the tears coming faster despite my valiant effort to stop them. "G-gomen, kunoichi-san. I…" my voice failed me and it felt like my body was failing me too.

My knees buckled but before I could collapse on the floor a pair of warm arms wrapped around me and held me close. My hands automatically clutched at the woman's shirt as she scooped me up.

It wasn't hard for her to guess whether I was a patient or a visitor. I was covered in blood and bandages, after all.

The woman didn't ask questions and I didn't say anything as she jogged through the hallways at a much faster pace than I had. Her chakra was incredibly bright and it took me a few moments to be able to discern anything beyond her but when I did I started to squirm.

There was a mass of chakra signatures collected in one place and apparently that was our destination.

"Ano, medic-san?" the woman called out. One of the more controlled hums of blue paused and turned towards us, their chakra freezing a little in what I recognised as shock. "Do you know where this little one is supposed to be?"

The medic was jogging towards us now, her marine-hued features displaying surprise and a hint of panic.

"Ah! This is… where did you find her?" the medic asked hurriedly, hands reaching up to skim the sweaty bangs away from my face. She sucked in a breath and I knew she'd seen my milky eyes. If the hum of chakra against my body was anything to go by, so did the woman carrying me. Maybe because the chakra was so close to feeling like my mother was the reason I didn't try to claw my way to freedom. I doubted I could. This woman seemed strong.

"She was running towards me in the hallway not five minutes ago," came the reply. "Is she…?"  
The medic hummed neither an affirmative nor a negative. "Let's get you back to your room, little one." She made to take me from the strong arms beneath me but I shook my head and sunk further into the warm blue. It might not have been my mother but it was so close to being so I could convince myself of the lie for a little while longer.

"No! I want to stay with obasan!" I sounded indignant and childish but I didn't care. I may have the thought process of an adult – _Thank you, stupid past life_ – but I could act my physical age.

I'd learnt about deception, after all.

My newly recognised aunt spluttered a little but didn't say anything. She didn't seem able to. Whether she bit her tongue or had no words, I didn't know. I could almost feel the medic's frown.

"Kunoichi-san? Would you mind bringing her back to her room?"  
"H-hai."  
"Arigato."

Then we were off once more, the medic leading the way. I'd noticed that they'd never used names and I was okay with that. Shinobi were naturally suspicious and I was an unknown factor.

I was so lost in thought I didn't even realise I was being placed gently in a bed until the softness was beneath me. I reluctantly let go of obasan's shirt and fiddled with the hem of my hospital gown, fingers picking at a few dried specks of blood. I was grateful for not being able to see what a mess I was. I felt lethargic and sweaty.

I felt gross.

"I'm going to be taking your temperature now," the medic said from my side. I nodded, a little confused.

Was she saying things out loud for my benefit or for her own? Kami, I hope she isn't a rookie.

I fidgeted through the entire examination, answering the medics questions with either a 'yes,' 'no,' or 'I don't know.' _Any pain?_ Just my stomach. Her hand touched my gut and warmth flooded me, the flare of green-blue brighter around the medics hands and I knew she was healing me. The clenching pain from my chakra centre settled almost instantly.

I had to learn how to do that.

I frowned towards obasan. She hadn't moved throughout the whole thing and her emotions were in such turmoil I didn't know what she was thinking. Her chakra seemed to have shrunk into itself, making it a small bright ball instead of a thrumming full-body energy. "Obasan? You okay?"

She twitched and the hectic mess of emotion doubled. I wondered if I'd said something wrong. Even the medic seemed surprised and I would have given anything to see their faces, to know what their expressions were.

"Can you see me?" Obasan asked cautiously.

I mentally slapped myself. _Of course._ Her chakra was compressed so she obviously didn't want to be sensed still in the room. I had to go and say something stupid and point out I knew she was there. They probably thought I was a prodigious spy or something now. How many five-year olds could sense and see chakra like I could? Probably none.

I nodded, slightly hesitant about their reaction.

Would they interrogate me? Would someone look into my head? I couldn't let that happen in case they found Tia's memories. Oh Kami, this was going to be bad.

"_So cool!_"

The awed whisper made me blink once… twice, then "Huh?"

"You're a sensor, right?"

My fidgeting increased from my nerves. No use lying. "H-hai. How did you-"

"You're _blind_ and _young _but you can _see_ and _sense_ chakra! That's so cool!"  
My lips pursed and I crossed my arms. "State the obvious, huh?"  
"And you're so _tiny!_ You're like a little chibi doll!" she laughed.

"Oi!" I cried before I could stop myself. I took back what I thought of this woman. She was kind, yes, but now she was annoying. "I'm five, thank you very much!"  
"Oh yes, practically an adult," she drawled. Both of us ignored the medic glancing between us with a bemused yet horrified expression. "Still a chibi. Actually, that's your new nickname. Chibi."

I bristled and answered before my mind caught up. She reminded me of Tia, instead it was 'chibi' in replace of 'kid.' "My name is Akani! _A-kan-i!_"

"Well, Akani-chan, you must have some pretty special chakra to be able to sense yet not physically see. Someone must have taught you."  
I tensed. _Shit,_ I thought. Her teasing was masking a freaking _interrogation_. And I fell for it. She knew my name, age and what little I could do and the smugness I could feel radiating through her chakra let me know she had definitely planned this.

My lesson in deception continued…

The woman was much closer now, her chakra turning frosty and losing all of its warmth. I may have mistaken her identity but I forgot one important thing; she was obviously a kunoichi and had the complete ability to hurt me if she wanted. This world had a lot looser morals than Tia's from what I could gather of the latter's experiences.

This kunoichi wouldn't hesitate to harm a child if the need was called for.

Especially if my hunch about the Third Shinobi War coming to boil was correct.

"So, Akani-chan, who taught you how to use chakra?" Even her voice was icy.

I shivered, barely noticing the medic leaving the room and beating a hasty retreat. "M-my-my-"

My teeth chattered so much I couldn't answer. I felt a weight press on my entire body and my breath left my lungs in a whoosh. The air was thick and hot and heavy and I couldn't breathe but there was nothing physically there. The woman seemed unaffected.

I bit my lip and the pain relieved the tension in my body but not by much. I was sweating more now and I almost laughed at the random thought of whether I would be allowed to have a bath.

Almost being the operative word. I had a feeling I'd be at the end of an unpleasant situation had I laughed in her face.

"Who taught you how to use chakra, Akani-chan?"  
Her voice was at odds with her demeanour. "M-my kaa-chan and my t-tou-san," I answered, feeling as if I was betraying them somehow.

"Do you have a family name, Akani-chan?"

I started to hyperventilate as the oppressive air almost doubled, making me slump back into my bed. I didn't have time to think about the hope present in her voice. My already weak body couldn't handle the tension and my useless eyes rolled as I drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Whoever was talking needed to shut up. I was trying to sleep. Who was talking in my room, anyways?

I hoped it wasn't the neighbour telling kaa-chan about how I tried to trim the hedges. I didn't know his pride-and-joy lilies were on the other side, accidentally getting a haircut…

I was blind and bored! Sue me.

I groaned and rolled over, huffing a little as I tried to find a comfortable spot. The conversation halted and something poked my shoulder. I ignored it.

Probably tou-san being silly again. He tended to poke me then run away, pretending he'd never been anywhere near my room when I came down for breakfast.

The poking didn't stop and I frowned in half-sleep. "Fivemoreminutes," I slurred sleepily.

Someone laughed and my eyes snapped open. That wasn't tou-san's laugh.

It took me a few seconds to remember where I was – _a hospital_ – and another thirty to realise it couldn't have been my father waking me because he was…

I snapped upright and flared my chakra, the area in front of me illuminated in a stunning bright blue. I gulped, scared. Whoever these people were they were strong.

I recognised the woman who interrogated me and I stiffened with indignant, five-year-old rage. I pointed at her, scowling. "You!"  
"Me!" came the happy reply.

"You interrogated me!" I accused.

"Yes."  
The admission caught me off guard because she sounded completely unrepentant. Then I noticed her chakra. It was quivering a little with guilt. I smiled, watching as the guilt turned to confusion.

"You're forgiven!" Dead silence. I began to fidget. I was doing a lot of that lately. "Um… hi?"

A soft chuckle made my ears perk up and I turned towards the largest blue spot in the room, offering the man a shaky smile. "You weren't joking when you said she was a sensor, Uzumaki-san." The name made me stiffen.  
"Incredible," another man stated and my jaw dropped. I would recognise the chakra signature of the man who I thanked when I thought I was going to die. I scrabbled onto my knees and pointed at him, smiling broadly.

"You! You were there in the… the… you saved me!" I couldn't bring myself to say what happened to me out loud. I knew I'd have to eventually but that time wasn't now. I beckoned him over, pouting a little when he didn't move. "I want to touch your face!"  
Silence, until "What?"

I then realised my hair was over my eyes. I brushed them quickly away and pointed to my milky eyes. "Blind. Can't see. Sense instead. Can I touch your face now, ojisan?"

"Uh… okay?" The man came closer and the bed dipped down as he sat next to me.

"You'll need to guide my hands, unless you want to lose an eye," I said. He did as instructed and soon my hands were painting his features in my mind's eye. He had laugh lines and crows feet, letting me know he was a happy man. His mouth was thin but his hair was thick and soft.

"My name's Akani," I offered to my saviour. He probably already knew since I'd spilled the beans to the Uzumaki woman. The man smiled beneath my fingers.

"My name is Sakumo. Nice to meet you Akani-chan."  
I smiled in response and shoved the stupid voice that sounded like Tia away. "Likewise!"  
The brightest man laughed, amused. "'Likewise'? I wish all children your age were so polite."

My grin turned foxy. "Naw, you just don't know me yet."  
The Uzumaki woman laughed now, her chakra trembling with amusement. "Aw man, I have no doubts now."  
That sounded… foreboding. My happy mood shifted into wariness and I shrunk away from Sakumo, my hands falling into my lap. "A-ano, am I in trouble?"

"No, Akani-chan," Sakumo soothed, patting my head. "We're just going to ask you some questions."  
I gulped. "A-about the… cell?" I whispered the word like it was something dirty.

"… Yes."

"O-okay, but…" I trailed off, remembering my friend. I shot a pleading glance towards the adults in the room. "I shared the… room with a boy! Is he okay? Is he here too? Can I go see him?"  
The silence was almost deafening as the shinobi shared glances. It wasn't Uzumaki or Sakumo who answered.

"I'm afraid we only found you, Akani-chan."  
I glared at the mass of blue, noting the slight quiver around the heart. He was lying, and it pained him. "You're lying."

"I'm afraid it's the-"

"The what? The truth?" I spat. I was fed up with the lies, being treated like a fragile doll. Physically I was small but I'd like to think I was smart. My time in the cell and with Tia in limbo matured me. I was still oblivious to most things but I wasn't an idiot. Far from it. "You're lying."  
"How do you figure?" The challenge was clear.

I snarled. _Challenge accepted._ "The chakra around your heart quivered. You're lying. Where is he?"  
A wash of some emotion I couldn't name swamped the room and I blinked, my bravado fleeing.

"You… are something else," the man said. "Such fierce loyalty in one so young. It's admirable."  
"Since we're on the same page, can you tell me where he is?" I paused before adding, "Please?"

"… I'm afraid he's still… asleep."  
The truth. I slumped, eyes watering. The joy I felt at knowing I wasn't alone left me. Until he woke up I had no one. Again.

This sucked.

"You're quite… vivacious for a five year old," Sakumo commented.

I preened at the compliment. "My kaa-chan said life was too short to be anyone but yourself!" I answered sagely.

The sombre mood was back, this time caused by me.

"How true," Uzumaki mumbled.

"So," I chirped, trying to get rid of the sadness settling in my chest, "Kaa-chan always said it's rude not to introduce yourself. So, who are you?"  
The question might have been rude but my accompanying smile showed them it wasn't intentional.

"Kushina," the Uzumaki woman said. It took a lot of willpower not to jerk at her name.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime and current Hokage of Konohagakure," the brightest clump of light said.

My jaw dropped once more. "No… _way_," I breathed.

I was in the freaking _Leaf Village_.  
_Thank you, Lady Luck!_

Half my battle was already over. I'd made it. The hard part lay just ahead but I'd just focus on the now. The adults took my exclamation at face value, not bothering to delve further. The God of Shinobi's exploits were children's bed time stories after all.

Then reality caught up with me. I was talking to the _freaking Hokage_. I tilted my head, wondering if I should ask or not…

_Screw it._

"Can I touch your face?"

The Sandaime barked out a laugh but said 'Yes,' taking Sakumo's place on my hospital bed. He guided my hands, not having to be told.

His skin was a lot softer than I thought it would be, wrinkles already forming on his forehead and at the corner from his eyes, like he spent too much time frowning and smiling simultaneously.

_With students like his, who wouldn't?_ My conscience supplied. I couldn't help but agree.

"You're so… so…" I searched for the word, feeling him begin to smile beneath my fingers. "Wrinkly," I finished.

His smile fell and the occupants of the room stifled their laughter. He gently plucked my hands away from his face and I smiled a little sheepishly.

"Gomen, Hokage-sama," I muttered. He patted my hand in response.

"I've been called many things, but I'm sure this is the first time I've been called 'wrinkly'." His voice was serious but I could sense the amusement beneath it. He was a kind man. Incredibly skilled and powerful, but kind.

My lips twitched and I couldn't help but jibe, "That _you_ know, anyways."

His bark of laughter startled me. His chakra being so close to me was blinding. Everything about this man was overwhelming, even more so because I _knew_ who he was… Or who he _will_ be.

"Ano, Hokage-sama, but where… how…?" I didn't really know how to ask but the adults caught onto what I was saying.

"Tomorrow, Akani-chan. Today, you need to rest," the Sandaime offered. I nodded, grateful. I now had time to gather my thoughts and sort out my priorities.

"Oka-"

I was interrupted by a knock at my door which opened without further prompting. I frowned, twisted around to stare at the smallest chakra signature in the room. The boy was young, probably a few years older than me but I couldn't deny that Sakumo's and his blue were incredibly close in feel. They must be related.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but I was sent with an important missive about the council meeting this afternoon," the boy said. He sounded young, but also serious. "Hello Uzumaki-san, otou-sama."

I was right about the related thing. Father and son. Interesting.

I liked interesting things.

"Arigato, Kakashi-kun," the Hokage said warmly, rising from his bed.

I thought my heart stopped working from the shock that bolted through me. This kid was Kakashi? Kakashi Hatake who would later become famous throughout the Elemental Nations Kakashi? The Copy-nin? What the hell?

It was hard for me to come to terms that yes, Kakashi was a kid as small as me once. He hadn't always been the aloof, perverted yet _freaking awesome_ jonin.

I bounced a little in my bed from excess excitement, because this was _the_ Kakashi! "Hi! I'm Akani!"

The boy rose from his bow to the Hokage and twisted to me and I had the strange urge to cover myself. I just introduced myself to a legend. A legend who was chibi-fied but I didn't care.

My mind filled with thoughts of us becoming great friends and confidantes. He was a genius, even at this age so his input about what I should do couldn't hurt, right? Tia said I needed to confide in someone I trusted implicitly. He was analytical and methodical, if just a little eccentric but that would (hopefully) come much later in life.

"You're filthy."

My hopes crashed and burned with those two words from his mouth but my anger sparked to life in its place. It seemed Tia's feelings about being underestimated had passed onto me.

"Yeah, well, who asked you!"

"That doesn't even make sense."  
"Your face doesn't make sense!"  
"… What are you talking about?"  
"You're a meanie!"  
"And you're still filthy."

I growled. Sakumo was incredible. He saved me _and_ he had a nice feeling face.

Kakashi may have been his son but I couldn't believe how much of a douche he was, even at this age. "Good thing we're in a hospital since you can book an appointment to get that stick surgically removed from your butt!"  
Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

I had the feeling I just made an enemy of _the_ Kakashi Hatake.

Shit.

"I have a new mission for you, Kakashi-kun," the Hokage chimed in. I didn't like the sound of this. "Kakashi-kun, meet Akani-chan. Akani-chan, meet Kakashi, your new hospital minder, for the time being."  
Complete and utterly _dead_ silence.

Until a cumulative "_What?!" _echoed throughout the hospital.

* * *

I brushed my wet hair from my face as I exited the bathroom, hand firmly in the crook of Kushina's elbow. I'd finally managed to get a bath and felt human again. Kushina had accompanied me to make sure I didn't slip or drown and I could feel the million-and-one questions she wanted to ask brimming beneath the surface but considering I passed out from her aura that morning she didn't say anything and I didn't offer.

We were back to companionable silence, just how I liked it…

"Your shirt is on backwards."

… until a certain _minder_ voiced his opinion. My arm left Kushina's to hold onto Kakashi's shoulder to guide me back to my bed and she gave me a pat on the head before parting.

I ground my teeth. I _had_ been going for independence, telling Kushina that I had been dressing myself for a long time – _about twenty years –_ and I wasn't about to stop now. "Well, at least it's _on_, Kashi-chan."

I smirked as I watched his chakra twitch with agitation and embarrassment. "Don't call me that."  
"I'll stop when you get that stick removed."

I chuckled and climbed onto my bed, adjusting the sheets until I was comfortable.

It wasn't until I was almost asleep that I realised I might have just found the first life I could change for the better.

_You'd better thank me._

_… Jerk._

* * *

**Review if you want to.**

**Obasan - Aunt :: Ojisan - Uncle**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I'm Australian.**

**I'm female.**

**Drop bears are... Hm, actually I won't give that one away :P**


	6. Getting to know you

**I was bored, and plot-bunnies were running rampant so hence, TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE NIGHT.**

**BOO-YAH!**

**Anyways... ONWARDS! :D**

* * *

Contrary to my belief, the Hokage did _not_ come back the next day to interrogate me about my time and experience in the cell. I was grateful, if just a bit confused. I doubted he'd forgotten about me but I was a mere blip on his radar. He had a whole village to look after and I understood.

So I decided to occupy my time in other ways, namely trying to annoy Kakashi. I was pretty good at it too.

"I don't need a babysitter."

"I'm not a sitter, I'm a _minder_. I only have to put up with you until Hokage-sama says I can stop."  
"A minder is just a glorified babysitter with a bigger pay check."

"You need a baby sitter."  
"Do not!"

"What are you? Three? You're acting like a child."  
"I'm _five and a half!_ And I _am_ a child! So are you!"

"I'm smarter."  
"Are not!"  
"You can't even dress yourself properly."  
"Can too!"

"… Your pants are on backwards."  
"Goddamn it!" I yelled, stomping back towards the bathroom I'd just exited.

I stripped my pants off and felt along the seams for any tag that signified which way I could put them on.

I'd learned precious little about Kakashi that I hadn't already learnt from the Gaiden episodes and flashbacks. He was a little looser now than when he was thirteen. The major shift in personality came when his father committed suicide and once again when his best friend slash rival Obito saved his life during the Kanabi Bridge mission.

Kakashi was only seven right now and he was eight when Sakumo returned from a mission he was eventually spurned for and led to his suicide. I'd have to try and stop that if I could. Sakumo was said to be on par with the Legendary Sannin and his prowess would be greatly needed if worse came to worst in the future.

The plus side of Kakashi not becoming even more of a prick was also a good thing.

I slipped my pants back on and opened the bathroom door, standing in the doorway, hands on my shapeless hips. I sent a glare in his general direction. "They weren't on backwards."  
"Oops." He sounded smug as he came to stand in front of me, guiding my hands onto his shoulder to take me back to my room.

I dug my fingers into his flesh a little harder than necessary and couldn't help the dark, pleased chuckle when I heard him swallow back a yelp.

* * *

"Kashi-chan, can I ask you-"

"No."  
I pouted, crossing my arms. "You didn't even listen to what I was going to say."  
"The answer is still going to be no."  
I sighed. "I was afraid of this."  
Despite being a ninja and reputed as a genius he was still a seven year old boy, ergo his patience had a limit.

He reached it. "What?"  
I smiled a little too broadly and his chakra coiled, his body ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. "I was going to ask if you liked girls but since your answer was no…"

I could almost feel the heat from his burning face from my position on the bed. I wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. Probably both.

I laughed aloud as he stalked out of the room and slammed the door a little harder than necessary.

* * *

"Kashi-chan-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."  
"If I could just-"

"No!"

I huffed. "You're so moody. I was just going to ask if you-"

"_I'm not gay!_"  
The medics I'd sensed coming down the hall froze at the sound of Kakashi's exclamation before breaking out into fits of giggles. Kakashi's chakra quivered in embarrassment and I couldn't help but snicker. He shot me a lethal glare that had zero effect since I was still blind and he'd appeared to have forgotten that fact.

"Kashi-chan?"  
"_What?_" His voice was as venomous as a seven year old could make it.

"All I was going to ask was could you guide me to the bathroom."  
I laughed all the way there, not even caring that a grumbling Kakashi was pulling me along a little too roughly.

* * *

"Have you ever broken a bone?"  
"Yes."  
"Did it hurt?"  
"Yes."  
"How much?"  
"Yes."  
I frowned. "You're not even listening to me."  
"A-huh, that's nice," came the distant reply.

"I don't feel too well. I think I'm dying."  
"A-huh, that's nice."  
"The sky is purple and the grass is orange."  
"A-huh, that's nice."  
"I can see the future."  
"A-huh, that's nice."  
"Your hair looks stupid."  
"A-huh, that's- _No it doesn't!_"  
I chuckled. "You're so vain, Kashi-chan. I'm _blind_, remember?" I waved my hands in front of my face.

He didn't talk to me for a few hours after that.

* * *

"Who's your idol?"  
Kakashi was silent for a long time and I wondered if he was going to answer at all.

"… My father."  
I perked up at that. Sakumo _was_ pretty cool. He had a certain air about him that made me feel safe, but I might have been biased since he saved me. I thought this was a pretty good way to get Kakashi talking about his early life. I knew he respected his father's abilities but everything else was a blank.

I tilted my head. "Why?"  
"He's an amazing ninja who people respect and look up to."  
"Including you?"  
"Yes."  
"He must love you very much."  
"He is my father, but a ninja first and foremost."  
I felt saddened by his logic. My mother had sacrificed herself to save me, my father doing the same for his village which in extension kept his family safe. Konoha may preach teamwork and wholesome family value as one of the strongest villages but Kakashi's logic suggested a double standard. Kakashi was in the beginning throes of a poisonous mindset that wouldn't change until years later. Maybe I could give him something to think about. I knew he'd be reporting everything back to the Hokage, but I didn't care. It was one less thing I had to say out loud more than once.

"My mother saved me from people who wanted to kill me. She was a kunoichi, but a mother first. She is my idol."

"Shinobi rule number six-"

"I'm not a shinobi," I intoned quietly but resolutely. "But I've made friends that mean a lot to me." I smiled as I thought about my parents, my cellmate currently in a coma somewhere nearby, the boy named Tenzo who I'd never know… and Kakashi. "If I had a choice to go back and save them, take their place instead, I would."  
"… Why?" He sounded genuinely confused.

"Because they are precious to me."

* * *

"What's your favourite day of the week?"  
No answer.  
"Mine's Wednesday. I don't know why but it sounds like a good day. What's your favourite fruit?"  
Again, no answer.

"Mines strawberries. What's your favourite colour?"  
Once again, no answer. He really was no fun.

"Mines blue. What's your-"

"You're _blind_ so how can your favourite colour be blue?" Kakashi finally spoke, his voice clipped and harsh. His question made my heart sink. My smile faltered before dying altogether.

"I'm a sensor, Kakashi," I replied softly. "The only colour beside black that I can see is blue, and it's more beautiful than the darkness."  
He had no response to that.

* * *

"I'm bored."  
"Not my problem."  
"I'm really bored."  
"Again… not my problem."  
I smirked. "When I'm bored I talk a lot."  
"Is that supposed to scare me?"  
"You didn't let me finish. When I'm bored I talk a lot and tend to break out into random song. I sing loudly. _Badly_."

I could almost hear the gears grinding in his head. I opened my mouth to belt out a random tune when he sighed in resignation. "What do you want?"  
I smiled brightly. I'd been waiting for this. "Can I touch your face?" If I couldn't _see_ it, I could damn well _feel_ it. I felt like a detective about to solve a mystery.

"W-what?"

"You know what I look like, right?"  
"Well, yeah but-"

"And feeling someone's face is how I see them. I think it's only fair."

"B-but I-"

I glared towards him. "It's the least that I could ask for."  
"Why? Why should I let you _anywhere_ near me?"

I scoffed. "Afraid I'm gonna hurt you? Please, you're a ninja and I'm not."  
His chakra stiffened. "How did you know I was a shinobi?"

I covered my unease with a cocky smirk. I couldn't tell him I knew he was a shinobi because I knew what was going to happen during the next (roughly) two decades. "You have a large chakra pool for your age and even now you're unconsciously using it to heighten your auditory and olfactory senses."  
"… Do you even know what half of those words mean?"

"Shut up and let me feel your face," I snapped.

"No." I almost swore he was pouting.

I couldn't help it. I giggled. I freaking _giggled_ and I couldn't stop. The mere image of The Kakashi Hatake pouting was humorous and ridiculous.

"Oh Kami, I broke you," Kakashi groaned.

I laughed harder.

And that's how the Hokage and Sakumo found me, tears of laughter streaming down my face and trying to inhale. The good mood I had been in for the last few days evaporated with their presence.

Not that they made me nervous – even though they did – but it just meant that my carefree moments were soon going to be replaced by questions and uncomfortably adult conversation.

"Akani-chan, are you ready to answer some questions?" the Sandaime asked gently.

I gulped but nodded hastily. Sakumo and the Sandaime entered, the latter dismissing Kakashi who beat a hasty retreat.

I missed his blue already.

* * *

**You guys are freaking awesome. I felt the need to make a little bonding time between the kiddies. Hope you liked it :)**


	7. How to change the future: For Dummies

**Just to clear up a few things:**

**Akani: 5 years old.**

**Kakashi: 7 years old. (And already a freaking chunin.)**

**As far as I'm concerned he doesn't become Minato's apprentice until ****_after_**** his father commits suicide so at the moment he's still hanging around the village and not going on too hard missions unless it's with an older cell. Not dissing his skill, since he's awesome, but come one... He's ****_seven_****. I'd like to think the Sandaime wasn't so heartless to send a kid out all the time on dangerous missions, no matter how talented or prodigious.**

**I suppose I should also put:**

**:: WARNING :: SPOILERS ::**

**I suppose if you want to double check the stuff mentioned in this story you can check out Narutowiki. Pretty sweet stuff and kept up to date with the manga and anime.**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

I had to admit, sitting in front of the Sandaime and Konoha's White Fang made me either want to fangirl-scream or whimper. I decided on a healthy median and began to pluck at the hem of my shirt instead, trying for the bashful, nervous look.

"No need to be nervous, Akani-chan," the Sandaime soothed and I inwardly cheered at how good of an actress I was.

Somehow, his words made my shoulders sag with relief. When had I tensed them? Hmm…

"Gomen, Hokage-sama."  
"No need to apologise. I see you and Kakashi-kun are getting along," he stated with a smile in his voice.

I tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "We didn't kill each other, if that's what you mean," I paused before saying under my breath, "Not from lack of trying, though."

Sakumo laughed at that. I'd forgotten about his sensitive hearing. Must run in the family.

"Yes, well, I thought it prudent for someone close to your own age to keep you company and Kakashi-kun is a bright young man. Before I begin to ask you questions, do you have any for Sakumo-san or I?"

I bit my lip. "Well…"  
"No need to be shy. No question is a stupid question," Sakumo stated sagely.

_Well, when he puts it that way…_ "Sakumo-sama, are you and Kashi-chan related? Is my friend awake yet? Am I going to die? If not, when can I get out of the hospital? Do you know any _really cool super amazing _jutsu? Can you teach me? Who are the people hiding in the corner of the room? Are they going to come over and say hello? Why did they freeze when I asked that question? What's-"

The Sandaime's finger over my lips stilled any more questions as Sakumo belted out a hearty chuckle. "You are an inquisitive child, Akani-chan."  
"Fank-oo!" I muffled against his hand, smiling brightly.

"You have an incredible sensory ability," Sakumo murmured. "You could sense the hidden shinobi."  
My eyes widened uselessly. _Double shit!_ Their chakra was suppressed but to me it seemed like a hovering speck of blue. Crap, crap, crap. 'When in doubt, lay low' was Tia's default saying – probably a result of her being on the wrong side of the authorities more than once.

I'd just blown that opportunity out of the water. The Hokage dropped his hand and I gaped like a fish. Where was my brilliant adult articulation now?

Nowhere, that's where.

"I… I-I-"

"You're not in trouble, Akani-chan," the Sandaime said firmly and I shrunk back, nodding. "Now, about your friend…"

He sounded genuinely saddened and my blood froze. My hand shot out and snatched his wrist. I felt him tense purely on reflex but he didn't move to hurt me. My cheeks felt wet. Why were they wet?  
"Is he… is he okay? Can you take me to him?" I croaked.

"… I'm so sorry, Akani-chan. He's gone."  
His chakra thrummed strongly beneath my fingers. He was telling the truth. A strangled sound left my throat and I collapsed forwards onto the Sandaime's shoulder, crying into the fabric of his robes. My first friend died, all alone with no family wondering if he was ever going to be okay. I lived on, only to know precious little about him.

I still didn't even know his _name_.

"Do you know if he had a family, Akani-chan?" Sakumo asked.

I shook my head on the Hokage's shoulder. "N-no, he s-said he was an or-orphan."  
"Did he ever tell you about any friends he had? Did he ever mention any names?" the White Fang pressed.

I knew it was an interrogation, taking advantage of my vulnerability but I didn't care because my first friend was _dead_. I didn't even think twice about what they were asking, just assuming they had reports of missing children they were going to sort through later.

"He said he knew a boy named…" I trailed off. Was this my story to tell? I didn't know Tenzo personally but I laughed and cried with my cellmate when he retold the story of his young life. I took a deep breath and decided that yes, I could say his name. It might have been incredibly selfish of me, wanting to find out more about my deceased friend if they had information but I couldn't bring myself to regret it. "He said he knew a boy named Tenzo, that they were friends before Tenzo was taken and didn't come back."

My tears doubled as I shot a look towards both men. My chakra still felt foreign, even though I was getting reacquainted with it. "What did they do to me?"

Both men stiffened but it was the Hokage who answered. "I think that's a talk for another time."  
"No, it's not!" I exploded. I thought I head Tia scoffing _Men!_ in the back of my head but I was too angry to pay attention. "I can _feel_ something wrong with my chakra! I'm not the same anymore! I… I can still sense and I _know_ what my blue is supposed to feel like but this feels so _wrong_, like it's not mine!" I grabbed onto the Hokage's robes and shook, not caring he didn't move at all. "What did they do to me?!" I had a hunch, but I prayed I was wrong.

Sarutobi's hands came up to firmly, but gently tug my hands from his robes and forced them into my lap. "You were one of sixty-one children taken and experimented on by… a now enemy of the Leaf village." The Sandaime's chakra quivered with sadness and my chest felt tight all of a sudden.

_Son of a bitch_, I thought, realisation shooting through me. _Orochimaru and his stupid Mokuton experiments. But… wasn't there supposed to be only sixty children? Didn't one survive? Was the Sandaime lying? He didn't feel like he was lying. Kami, this is confusing._

"Gene-splicing," I whispered. Sakumo and the Sandaime tensed. No doubt they'd raided the lab and gathered this for themselves but I was a survivor and had experienced all of this first hand. "I'm right, aren't I? They did something to my chakra."

"… Yes. Your chakra is still _yours_, it's just been… altered. How far, we won't know until you decide to use it."

I pursed my lips and shuffled backwards until my back hit the wall, pulling my knees close to my chest. "I don't have a choice, do I?" I couldn't help but feel bitter. Being a shinobi sounded like an amazing albeit dangerous profession, but I wasn't sure if I could take a life. My blindness would be a major hindrance and I'd have to find a way around it. My sensing abilities would come in handy, especially with a war coming up.

_I take back what I said about Lady Luck. She's a vicious bitch._

"Of course you have a choice, Akani-chan," Sakumo tried to protest but I levelled him with a sardonic glance.

"I'm a sensory type, right? How many have you met that can sense like I can? Probably none. With training I could increase my range and become an asset to any village. Don't insult my intelligence, Sakumo-sama. The moment you found me was the moment my choice was taken away."  
Both men were silent, contemplative and perhaps a little judgemental as they stared at me long and hard but I refused to back down. The Sandaime was a smart man. My sensing abilities were a boon and added to that I _might_ have the stupid watered down version of Hashirama's Mokuton, he'd be an idiot not to take advantage of that.

He was politically savvy – sometimes – and a battle strategist and with a war only a few years away the strategy was '_win at all costs_.' I could probably use this to my advantage. As much as I'd hate to admit it the Hokage wouldn't be above threatening someone I care about with harm to get his way so I supposed I was lucky I was… an orphan. The thought made me want to puke. It might go against his personal moral code but he was a dictator first and foremost, putting the needs of the village above and beyond his own.

If my theory about Kushina being a relative of mine somehow proved true, then I already had a good peg on the board. She was the current jinchuriki and I had leverage with her, especially if she was desperate to know any Uzumaki survivors from the fall of Uzushiogakure.

I may have knowledge about Konoha and liked it from what I knew but I wasn't loyal to it.

Not yet.

I took a deep breath, and perhaps signed my death warrant. "I'll become a kunoichi."  
The Sandaime sighed, long and hard but was it in resignation or relief? "You're very smart for your age, Akani-chan."  
My grin was tight. "Kaa-chan always told me knowledge is power." Not necessarily a lie. Tia's mother said that before she passed and my own mother read me books during the day to expand my vocabulary and knowledge.

"How very accurate," Sakumo praised. My smile turned a little more genuine.

"I… want to ask you something, Sandaime-sama," I murmured, rubbing my suddenly sweaty hands on my legs. I took his silence as a confirmation to continue and prayed that this worked. "My kaa-chan was teaching me fin… fuimju… _The Art of Sealing_ before she… she… and I wanted to learn more about it. Can you teach me?"

Both men's chakra froze with an emotion I couldn't decipher.

"I cannot," the Sandaime replied and I slumped in disappointment. "However…" I perked back up again. "I have someone else in mind who could teach you. Forgive me, but how can you-"

"See the script?" I interrupted excitedly, almost vibrating with happiness. My knowledge about sealing was going to expand and that was one more ace in the hole as far as I was concerned. Who'd expect a _blind_ girl to know _sealing_? Ha! I had little to no doubt that Kushina would be my teacher – an Uzumaki to teach an Uzumaki. "Kaa-chan had special ink that glowed blue and I could see it when she drew it on the paper! I already know some kanji! Mama said I was so smart."

"She sounds like an intelligent woman."  
I wilted a little. "She was."  
They didn't have to be told why I used past tense but they asked something else I wanted to forget. "How did she pass?"

Translation: was she an enemy or ally of the Leaf?

I didn't have to fake the tears that welled in my eyes. I'd never done so much crying in my life. "M-my tousan was killed on a mission, and mama grabbed me in the middle of the night. Some bad men were chasing us, trying to kill us. She hid me and sacrificed herself to save me. I… I _felt_ her die but I couldn't… I couldn't do anything!" I was crying harder now, lost in memory and someone was patting my hair. I had been so excited when I thought I felt my mother's chakra in the hospital, like somehow I'd just imagined her chakra slowly waning and she'd survived.

But I hadn't been wrong.

I continued to wail into the Hokage's robes. Normally I would have been embarrassed but his presence was soothing and I felt safe enough to let it all out.

I was emotionally drained and I didn't even realise I'd fallen asleep until I woke up alone and tucked into bed.

I rolled over and fell asleep again.

* * *

Something smacked into my head with a bit of force behind it and I cried out, sitting bolt upright in bed. I winced and rubbed the growing bump, flaring my chakra to see who was in the room with me.

I scowled. "What the hell is _your_ problem?"  
"Good morning. I bought you special reading material from the Hokage. Something about Braille, though it seems I might have _accidentally_ _dropped_ one."

"Oh, of _course_. I forgot how clumsy you were, Kashi-chan," I said sarcastically before picking up the book and throwing it towards him. I didn't hear an impact so I guessed he caught it. Damn.

"For a blind girl you have quite the aim," he said flippantly. How did he make that sound like an insult?

"Thank you," I chirped, eyebrow twitching. "It helps when your target is annoying. So, what are you doing here anyways?"  
"You stink. Go and clean up and then I'll talk."

I grumbled nonsense under my breath and slid from my bed sheets, adjusting my pyjamas. Kakashi came closer and I planted my hand on his shoulder purely out of habit. He was taller than me and I almost cried with the knowledge that he was only going to get taller. I was a shrimp and I had little hope of growing out of that phase.

"Crouch down, you're too tall," I grumbled.

"Jealous?"  
"Yes," I answered honestly. He obviously wasn't expecting my answer so he remained quiet, shoving me towards the bathroom. I finished my morning business and dressed in the clothes already laid out for me by one of the nurses. They were thoughtful enough to put them in the same place and in the same position each morning. I felt more awake and ready to face anything when I exited.

Until my stomach clenched with hunger. I grimaced and wrapped an arm around me middle as if that would soothe the growl that seemed to echo in the room.

"… What was that?" Kakashi asked, slightly bewildered.

"My tummy," I whimpered. "Kashi-chan, I'm hungry!"

"I forgot you needed food."  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I snapped. I had the feeling Kakashi was smiling in a rather self-satisfied manner.

"I didn't think chibi-she-devils needed food, is all."  
I ground my teeth. "Sometimes your tears of embarrassment aren't enough sustenance, I'm afraid."

"I don't cry from embarrassment," he sniffed.

"But you cry at everything else?"  
"What? No!"

"Silly Kashi-chan," I sang, "Have a tissue for your issues!"

"I'll be glad to be rid of you."  
I pouted, crossing my arms. "I thought we were getting along great."  
"What made you think we were friends?" he squeaked, as if the idea horrified him.

"I never said we were friends, I said we were getting along. I have the feeling being your friend would take a bit more than casual conversation."  
He was silent as he absorbed my words. He tended to do that when I broke out the big words, as if he couldn't believe someone younger than him was so wise.

Hell, Itachi Uchiha was only _four_ when he went to the battlefield and by the time he was _seven_ he was rumoured to have the wisdom of a Hokage. I had almost twenty years on Kakashi, not that he knew that.

He was refuted as a genius. Hell, he was already a _chunin_ but advancing so quickly tended to leave others in your age group in the dust. He may have been amazing at what he did but his social skills towards anyone under thirty sucked major balls. I was probably one of the only ones at this point in time who could talk to him intellectually but still tease him like a kid.

"I have plenty of comrades," Kakashi said sternly, seeming to have gotten over his shock.

"Comrades, yes. Friends? No. Everyone needs a friend, Kakashi, and I'll happily be your first, if you let me." I offered him my hand with a smile. Outwardly I was calm and collected. Inwardly I was freaking out.

Kakashi would grow to be a legend and here I was, a no-name piece of cannon-fodder offering my hand in friendship.

I realised how ridiculous the notion was and began to lower my hand, only to jump a little when Kakashi snatched my palm in a firm once-shake and drop it like a hot potato.

I beamed at him. "Extend ye olive branch, and thee shall come!"  
"Speak Japanese!" Kakashi growled before tugging me back to my room.

"Naw, is Kashi-chan embarrassed?" I teased.

"Stop calling me that!"  
"Have you gotten that stick removed yet?"

"Gah!"

"So, why are you here anyways?"  
I swore I heard him grind his teeth. "I'm supposed to take you out to the hospital gardens for some fresh air."  
I whooped in excitement and overtook him, literally blindly leading the way. "Let's go!"

In a flare and flicker of chakra Kakashi sped towards me to steer me by my shoulder so I avoided hitting a wall.

I gave him a sheepish grin. "Heh, thanks."  
"Just… don't do that again. I don't want you to get hurt under my watch. I don't want to have to explain to Hokage-sama why you're black and blue."  
"Naw, Kashi-chan you _do_ care!"  
"S-shut up!"

* * *

I sighed in contentment and folded my arms behind my head, face tilted towards the sky. I hadn't felt a soft breeze or the warm sun in a long time and I greatly appreciated the Sandaime's thoughtfulness.

I sensed Kakashi nearby, chakra coiled and compressed as he hid in a tree.

It was times like this I felt unlucky to be blind. The sky was a great expanse of blue and I bet it would be breathtaking at this time of day, the sun slowly creeping across the sky.

The sounds from the village were dampened by the surrounding nature and a small smile lit my face as I heard a bird trill somewhere close by.

Right now, I didn't have to worry about the future or what part I was going to play.

I could just relax and enjoy the day…

"There's a twig in your hair."  
My eye twitched and I finger combed my hair, glaring at Kakashi's chakra signature.

_Way to ruin my good mood, you jerk._

"_Thank you_, baby sitter."  
"I'm not a sitter, I'm a _minder_."

"_I'm not a sitter, I'm a _minder," I mimicked before rolling onto my stomach and playing with the grass in front of me. "It feels like forever since I felt warm grass," I murmured. "So much softer than stone."

I'd lost an unknown amount of time from my life and the memories of that dank place will stay with me but right now, despite how annoying Kakashi was and the pressure settling more firmly on my shoulders I simply breathed in, and out.

I smiled and pressed my face into the colour I couldn't see.

* * *

I was exhausted but I couldn't fall asleep. My mind was too occupied with 'what ifs' and possibilities that should have been crazy but… what would I know? Chakra was a powerful tool and it was _everywhere_. People could control said power and create different things like fire, water and lightning with it.

There was literally endless possibilities about what could and couldn't be done in this world and I was right in the middle of it.

Rin.

Everything in regards to Obito started with Rin. She was one of the first to acknowledge him so he fell in love with her. She was the girl Obito would literally destroy the world for.

But she fancied Kakashi.

And they were both on a team with Obito, and the future Yondaime as their sensei.

I groaned and buried my face into my pillow. All this thinking made my brain hurt.

Rin was captured to become the Sanbi jinchuriki by Kiri and sent running back towards Konoha in hopes to destroy it at the end of the Third War. Konoha was weakened just like Iwa and Kumo but Kiri would be insane to try anything against Hidden Cloud who had a fully functional Hachibi jinchuriki in Killer B.

Strategically, Konoha was well placed. The Land of Fire was in the middle of the Elemental Nations and as such was the gateway towards any other nation. It took a strong lot to hold the fort, so to speak, and Konoha had come out on top in the First, Second and soon-to-be Third War. Having valuable clans like the Uchiha, Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho was also a plus. Konoha was a goldmine of talent.

A shame some of the ninja had a superiority complex because of that.

I'd already befriended Kakashi and through him I could meet Obito and Rin when they are placed in a team when they're eleven. War tended to speed up graduation and promotion. If all went well then I would be learning fuinjutsu from Kushina. If not her then either Minato or Jiraiya though I doubted the two latter since Kushina was stubborn and family orientated so she was the best choice to teach me.

She had a great deal of sway as the Kyuubi jinchuriki, even if she didn't know it. The whole reason the Bijuu were given to the other villages by the First Hokage was as a sign of friendship and good faith between the villages.

I mentally scoffed. _Hundred years later and here we are… Almost onto the Third War and gearing up for a Fourth not twenty years later._

I couldn't help but feel bitter-sweet as I thought of Rin. She was a talented medical kunoichi and from what I knew she was as cute as a button and sweeter than a lollypop.

She was the glue that held Kakashi and Obito's tumultuous relationship together.

At least she wasn't a major fangirl like Sakura was to Sasuke.

I inwardly shuddered. Rin was obviously smart enough to shove those tendencies aside due to the threat of war. She lived, breathed and died _Konoha_. Hell, she threw herself in front of Kakashi's Lightning Cutter to stop Kiri's stupid plot to destroy the village.

I had to prevent her capture by Kiri at all costs. No capture by Kiri, no forcefully made jinchuriki. No forcefully made jinchuriki, no bye-bye Rin. Rin still alive, no crazy Obito.

No crazy Obito, no apprentice to corpse-Madara.

Simple.

… But I didn't know _when_ or _how _Rin gets captured, which meant I was in the dark and would have to make an estimated guess. Anything could go wrong.

No pressure.

I screamed into my pillow.

_God-freaking-damnit, Lady Luck!_

* * *

**Once again, you guys are awesome.**

**I love you so much.**

**Seriously.**

**Also, Akani acts so mature because her and Tia are technically the same soul, so I suppose Tia is more like an 'imprint' or (dare I say it) 'Inner' voice of wisdom through her memories. Akani is a whole different person so she's prone to acting childish but she knows when to be serious and 'adult.'**

**I know... sounds boring right? HA!**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I hate passionfruit. Seriously, like, ****_barf_****.**

**Winter is my favourite season because the Australian heat turns from 'Burning Pit of Hell' to 'Mildly Cooked Lobster'**

**PS: Who'd you like Akani to be paired with in the future? I won't list names coz I want to keep the options open :)**


	8. Insert foot in mouth

**I'm a huggy person.**

**Comes with the job of being a mother, so if I could reach through your computer/phone/tech to smother you with grateful squeezes, I SO WOULD.**

**Just sayin' :)**

**Read, review, fave, follow - do what ye will, to ye hearts content.**

**But seriously, I'm loving the feedback :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

My fingers flew across the raised Braille bumps in the book I was reading – the Shinobi Rulebook – and I couldn't help but gape in horror. No wonder Kakashi had such a fucked up mentality when his father decided to forgo the mission to save his comrades.

Every second sentence was 'for the good of the mission' or 'finish the mission at all costs.'

I frightened me how expendable the village's shinobi were expected to be and people actually _wanted_ to become ninja.

It was almost brainwashing.

I say 'almost' because this world was completely different and if you had the skill and drive, you were _expected_ to perform above and beyond the norm. It was a privilege, not a right to become a shinobi of the village, yadda-yadda-yadda.

And I had just signed up for the assassin's lifestyle.

Goody.

I was having a hard time connecting the Kakashi-who-followed-the-rules to the perverted-lazy-ass sensei I knew he would become. However in both cases he was still emotionally retarded. Guilt tends to do strange things to people, after all.

Granted, I wanted to become a kunoichi but that was more out of necessity than want. I needed to find some common ground with the people whose lives I was going to try and infiltrate and I highly doubted they'd listen to a civilian.

I snorted. Wouldn't that be a laugh? A no-name weirdo coming up and telling you your future was going to suck and you should be careful of creepy snake-men who liked to give little kids cursed hickeys.

I'd be in the loony bin before you could say 'dattebayo.'

I finished the last page and all but threw the book into the corner of the room, patting around the bedside table for another. My hands connected and I read the title; Beginners Guide to Chakra Control and Theory.

I sighed and cracked it open. It wasn't much of anything I didn't already know from either my parents or Tia's stupid memory imprints.

Control and refine, control and refine.

Everything was about control and refinement.

My parents had me finetuning my chakra through mediation and practicing sending it to certain parts of my body since before my fourth birthday. I had that down pat.

I searched my – Tia's – memory and recalled a certain bumbling idiot trying to climb a tree by focusing his chakra.

I tilted my head, absentmindedly sending chakra to my feet as I wiggled my toes.

_Should I…?_

I smirked. _Ah, screw it._

I slipped from bed, leaving the book cracked open to my page and cautiously flared out my chakra to make sure I was alone. Satisfied, I began to feel my way towards the nearest wall. A voice whispered in my mind, something about flow and exploding plaster, but I ignored it, too excited at the prospect of climbing the wall like a spider and getting into mischief.

Maybe that was the Uzumaki in me.

My hand met the hard wall and I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Slow and steady, control and refine. Baby steps," I murmured to myself. My chakra felt warm as I sent it towards my hands, and it burned a little as I forced it out of my fingers. I'd start small and work my way up.

I stifled a wince and controlled the flow, persevering through the pain until I tried to tug my hand away from the wall.

It didn't budge.

My body went lax and I leant backwards completely until my chakra was all that was holding me upright.

It still didn't move.

"Oh yeah! I'm awesome!" I crowed, losing focus. I sent too much chakra through my hand and there was a loud ripping sound. Plaster rained down on me as I was sent sprawling along the ground. I rubbed my bruised butt. "Ow, ow, ow!"

The sound of feet made me still. I'd been so focused on trying to stick to the wall that I'd completely ignored the people milling about in the hospital.

And two familiar chakra signatures heading towards my room with a quickened pace.

"Shit, shit, shit," I cursed, trying to feel my way back to the bed. My toes connected with the corner of the book I'd thrown earlier and I bit back a yelp before literally taking a hopeful, blind dive into my bed just as the door handle turned.

I adjusted the covers and picked up my chakra-theory book, trying to act as if nothing had happened and hoping the hole in the wall wasn't that big and they wouldn't ask questions.

The Sandaime entered, followed by Kushina and both paused in the doorway. I gave them a bright smile that probably seemed a bit too suspicious. Oh well, too late now.

"Oh! Hello! What brings you two here?" I asked a little breathlessly, adrenalin fading from my system.

"… Hello, Akani-chan," the Hokage greeted carefully before moving to take a seat beside my bed. "Uzumaki-san and I are here to discuss your training."  
I snapped my book close and gave him my undivided attention.

"What happened to the wall?" Kushina asked, amusement colouring her voice.

My face flushed red and I twiddled my thumbs in embarrassment. "Uh… it was always like that?"  
"… u-huh."

Obviously she didn't believe me but she let it go. Strangely enough so did the Sandaime. Things like this must happen more often than he thought.

An awkward silence descended upon the room and I began to twitch. Silence, especially in the presence of two important people like the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and the Hokage, made me nervous and a nervous Akani was a talkative Akani.

"So, what-"

"Uzumaki-san, if you would?" the Sandaime interrupted.

Kushina's chakra flared, flowing down towards her hands as she moved them in a graceful pattern I didn't recognise. She knelt and quickly slapped a palm to the floor, her sturdy vibrancy filling the room with a stunning blue. I couldn't help but gasp as seals and kanji lit up in my field of black with frightening intensity before fading to a dull, soft blue.

I looked up, down and all around. The seals encompassed the whole room, its energy strong and unyielding.

I twisted towards the nearest wall and traced the kanji for 'silence.'

"So it's true," Kushina murmured quietly but I caught it. I snapped my hand back from the wall to look towards the Sandaime and Kushina with a confused glance.

"Is what true?"  
"You can see the seals, right?"  
"Yeah. Can't you?"

"No. As soon as I placed the silencing barrier the seal disappears. I can feel it, since my chakra fed it but to everyone else with vision there is nothing there. You're amazing," Kushina explained.

I paled a little. I was obviously a strange exception to chakra sensing. The only other person – or rather, _clan_ – that I could think of that could see the chakra in seals was the Hyuga.

I most definitely _was not_ a Hyuga.  
"Have you always been this sensitive to chakra, Akani-chan?" the Hokage inquired.

I opened my mouth to reply 'yes,' but paused. I was still blind, unable to physically see the outside world but the life-giving chakra inside everything had always been there for me to see.

I hadn't really thought much about it but since my chakra had been altered the blue had been a lot _clearer_. I was more aware of the slight twitches and emotions fed through the chakra and I could _feel_ more from it.

"It's been easier lately," I said slowly, theories still coming to the fore, "ever since the… ever since I was exp-"

"We understand, Akani-chan," Kushina said gently and I released the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding.

"Can you see tenketsu points?" Hiruzen asked, genuinely curious.

I tilted my head. That sounded familiar but I couldn't place the term. "What's that?"  
"The points where chakra leaves the body through the skin. There are 361 on the human body."  
"Oh. No."  
"But you _can_ see the chakra inside of someone?"  
"Hai. People are like giant blue blobs. The brighter the blue, the more chakra they have."

"Ah, I see," the Sandaime mumbled. I could imagine him standing there stroking his beard in thought. I stifled a giggle. "And your spatial awareness?"  
"My… spashin waneness?"

Kushina chuckled. "Spatial awareness. It means your awareness and interaction with the things around you."  
"Oh… it's okay… I guess. I still run into stuff if I'm not careful."  
The Sandaime hummed and I could swear he was laughing at me. "You are well aware of your chakra and you can mold it. Don't deny it," he added when I opened my mouth, "it's hard to not recognise the signs necessary for application of chakra to climb vertical surfaces."

I grinned sheepishly. "Heh heh… oops?"

"The plaster in your hair was another clue," Kushina chimed, snickering when I hastily finger combed a rather large chunk of wall from my locks. How did I not notice that?

"Um… I can pay for that?" _A total lie_, I thought lamely but thankfully the adults in the room laughed it away as the joke it was. I was broke, and besides, this was a freaking _ninja hospital_. I'm sure the walls have been under the assault of various pointy and blunt things in the past.

"So your awareness of others only extends to sensing their chakra, correct?" Sarutobi asked, getting back on track.

I frowned. "I guess. I mean, it would be awesome if I could at least _know_ if there's a wall or something close by. Normally I don't realise it's there until my face has been printed into the paintjob."

The Hokage's chakra quivered with amusement and I swore he was about to laugh at me but he dutifully covered it with a cough. "How would you like to see?"  
I perked up at that before immediately wilting. There were no chakra pathways to my eyes at all and I doubted even a top medic like Tsunade could build a chakra system from scratch. You can't heal what isn't there. "A dream come true, Hokage-sama," I choked out sadly.

I missed the colours I knew from memory but had never seen in person. It was like watching your mirror reflection eat ice cream and all you can do is helplessly touch the glass and pretend you have one too.

I'd never see.

"Forgive me, Akani-chan. I should have worded that differently. I meant I might know a jutsu that could help you become more spatially aware and in turn a bit more independent."  
My sadness was immediately forgotten.

"Jutsu?" I might have to begrudgingly become a kunoichi but I couldn't deny the fact that making use of the energy literally at my fingertips was an exciting prospect.

"Hai. A simple echolocation jutsu. Do you think you can handle it?"

That was interesting.

I smirked. I liked interesting things.

"Bring it on, jiji!"

I slapped my hands over my mouth with wide eyes, shaking my head in horror. I was too used to the loud, obnoxious voice of Naruto calling the Sandaime 'Old Man' that it just slid off my tongue. That was _his_ special connection with the Hokage, not mine!

I felt like a thief. A dirty, rotten thief. A _soon-to-be-dead_ dirty, rotten thief!

_Oh Kami, I'm dead. I'm sooo dead. My future is now a bleak, meaningless existence to be filled with loneliness and shame and laughter and… wait, what?_

The sounds of Kushina's snorting laughter broke whatever stupor the Sandaime was in and he huffed a little, acting a few decades younger than what he was. His chakra held a hint of amusement though so I could breathe a little easier.

At least if he found it kind of funny he would kill me in a more friendly way.

I didn't even bother to argue with myself about which way would be classified as 'friendly.'

"I… H-Hokage-sama, I'm _so_ sorry! It's just… I-"

"You never cease to remind me of my age, do you Akani-chan?" he teased, hinting at the first time I met him and called him 'wrinkly.'

At least I had the decency to blush.

"G-gomen, Hokage-sama. I wasn't thinking."  
"Don't worry, little one. Just try not to let it slip again, ne? Besides, I'm not _that_ old."

I almost squawked in protest. The Hokage telling _me_ not to call him jiji again? Double standard much! But… then again, Naruto held a special place in his heart and seriously, who could deny that cute little whiskered-chibi anything? (Excluding ignorant bigots, of course.)

The sudden reminder of what the kid would have to endure – while I was in the same room with his _mother_, no less – made me queasy. I'd resolved to change as many lives for the better as I could, but I was just one person. A _child_.

"Akani-chan? Are you okay?"

Kushina's concerned voice snapped me out of my reverie and I shot a wobbly smile towards her. "Hai, Uzumaki-san. Gomen, for calling you obasan the first time we met."  
"O-oh, uh… that's okay. I mean, it's not like it was _uncomfortable_ or anything," she mumbled. "I don't really _care_ if you call me that, -ttebane."

I beamed at her. She was adorable and so lively. She was a fighter, like her son since it took an amazing person to be able to hold Kyuubi at bay.

"Obasan!" I crowed, throwing my hands in the air. I'd never had an aunt before, and Kushina was technically family. I was probably a distant cousin or something. "Can I touch your face?"

"W-what? –ttebane."

"Can I touch your face?" I reiterated.

"Umm… okay?" She was nervous and slightly uncomfortable but her blue moved towards me. She gently took my hands when she was close enough and guided them to her face and I felt my chest swell with her thoughtfulness. She didn't even have to ask.

She was just how I pictured her from my memories, albeit slightly younger. She fidgeted a little when I reached up to her hair and I frowned, admonishing her with a glance that only a five year old could make. She stilled and I continued my perusal.

Her hair was an interesting texture. It was thick, but it flowed beautifully through my fingers and I marvelled at the thick strands. It was so different to my own baby-soft hair.

"You're hair is so…" I saw her chakra tense and I smiled at her. "It feels so cool!"

"That's… thank you," she answered genuinely. My only response was a bigger smile.

I dropped my hands from Kushina's hair and clapped them together excitedly. "So, Hokage-sama, you're gonna teach me a jutsu? Huh, huh, huh?"  
"Yes, Akani-chan. Hold your dominate hand in front of your chest with your middle and forefingers pointing upwards." I did as instructed. "That's it. This is to focus your chakra. It requires no handseals to perform, just a sharp burst of chakra outwards before reading the returning resonances."

"So… like a bat?" I asked.

The Hokage chuckled. "Yes, similar to a bat. Now hush and focus. Think of your chakra as a fast moving mist and expand it until you can feel where I am, then I want you to draw the chakra back."  
I nodded, a little unsure but I trusted Sarutobi. Not so much the Hokage, but Sarutobi was a kind man who always did what he thought was right, even if that meant making hard decisions. I began to focus my chakra, noting how much easier it was once I made the handseal.

Huh. I'd have to look into that.

Once I gathered as much chakra as I could I forced it outwards, wincing a little at the pins and needles that assaulted my body. I tried to focus on something other than the blue of my dispersed chakra but it was difficult. It seemed to flood the small room.

I blinked unnecessarily.

My chakra was like a fine mist, but if I looked closely I could see the brighter outlines of the bedside table next to me, as well as the books sitting on top. My world was still lit up blue, but I could actually _see_ where everything was, including the blob that was the Sandaime and the chair he had settled himself into. I ignored the exhaustion creeping in just to look around in wonder for a few more moments before it became too much.

I sent my conscience out and laid claim on my chakra, reeling it back in and a small pulsing wave seemed to echo in the room as I did so.

I suddenly knew that Kushina was leaning casually against the wall a few feet away, and next to her was the door to the bathroom. The Sandaime was closer still and he was wearing his usual robes of his station. I could _see_ the outline of my legs through the bed sheet.

Once the echoes stopped I felt incredibly weak. I collapsed back to the bed with a tired laugh. I knew another go would be out of the question but I was already itching to try it again.

"Well done," the Sandaime praised and I gave him a tired smile. "It's a simple, albeit chakra intensive jutsu which is why many shinobi rarely use it but I thought if anyone could use it to its full extent, it would be you Akani-chan."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." And I meant it. He'd given me something more than just a jutsu. I had my independence back and I didn't have to rely on lining walls with chakra-laced seals anymore. He taught me something that I could use, and fully intended to do so.

The thought made me stiffen slightly.

A kind man he may be but he would never do something like give away a jutsu for free, especially to a five-year old orphan. I sat back upright, ignoring my body's protests. "What's the catch?"  
"Pardon?"  
"Why would the Hokage – that would be _you_ – give _me_ a jutsu able to help me become more spatially aware? What's the catch?"

"No catch, Akani-chan," the Hokage said gently. His chakra quivered so minutely I thought my mind was playing tricks on me but I wasn't convinced.

I'd let it go for now, though. "Okay. Arigato, Hokage-sama."

"You're welcome. Now, Uzumaki-san, what is your opinion?"  
"She'd definitely got potential. I'm amazed her blindness isn't a hindrance at all but I think she'd be better at barrier and offensive fuinjutsu, simply because they require little to no ink-on-scroll attention. This could be fun, -ttebane!"

I gaped at Kushina whose chakra was humming brightly with happiness. It seemed I wasn't wrong about her becoming my fuinjutsu teacher but still… I thought I would have to at least _wait_ to be taught.

Oh, right. War coming up soon. Duh. All hands on deck, so to speak.

Yay.

"Then it's settled. Uzumaki-san will come back tomorrow morning at ten to begin your lessons. Until then, she has some books that have been kindly translated into Braille for you to study in your spare time."  
A weight dropped onto my lap and I grunted in surprise. There must have been at least a dozen books there, and none of them were thin.

Good thing I liked to read.

"Now, if you would excuse Akani-chan and I, Uzumaki-san, that would be greatly appreciated."  
"Hai, Hokage-sama! See you in the morning, Akani-chan! Sleep well, -ttebane!"

I gave her a small wave. "Bye, Uzumaki-sensei."  
"Mou, now I feel old. Just call me Kushina-sensei instead."  
"Hai!"

The door closed behind her but the silencing seal still remained and I felt the temperature drop almost immediately.

I gulped, more than a little nervous. Being on the receiving end of The Professor's ire wasn't a place I wanted to be.

"A-ano, Hokage-sama?"

The silence was long and tense but I couldn't even twitch. I was too busy trying not to run screaming from the room and begging for forgiveness for every bad thing I'd done in my life.

"Akani-chan, you truly are an amazing young girl," he said slowly, deliberately. I shrunk back with every word. I didn't know where he was going with this but I didn't like it. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I expect an honest answer. Understood?"  
"H-hai, Hokage-s-sama," I stuttered.

"Do you know what Uzumaki-san is?"

I paled. I wanted to scream out everything, about how she was a jinchuriki and the soon-to-be wife of Minato Namikaze the Yondaime Hokage and her son was a little ball of sunshine who would change the world because _the air was so thick and suffocating._

But I didn't know what would happen so I settled for, "S-she's an U-Uzumaki, Hokage-sama."

"… Yes. Yes, she is, but you already knew that well before, didn't you?"

My whole body jerked and the air turned arctic. I wouldn't have been surprised if my breath kicked up little foggy clouds.

"I'm going to ask you another question, Akani-chan." I could only nod dumbly. "How?"  
I inhaled a shuddering breath. He wasn't asking how I knew she was an Uzumaki and I knew that. He was asking how I knew her _name_. _Kushina Uzumaki_.

It was no surprise that villages would be protective – if just a little ignorant – towards their jinchuriki. I was a no-name.

But I had aces up my sleeves, and Sarutobi knew that. I relaxed a little at the thought. He wouldn't kill me, not after Kushina just agreed to take me on as a student in the sealing arts. He couldn't afford her ire, especially with the chakra of the Nine Tailed Fox at her disposal, whether she could control it or not.

I opened my mouth to reply, only to close it again. How could I explain that I knew _far more_ than he'd be comfortably with? I wasn't there to endanger the village. I was there to try and help it.

Hell, I was trying to freaking help the _world_.

But he didn't need to know that just yet because I didn't know how far he'd go to extract information from me. I knew what the Yamanaka's could do with their mind jutsu and I'd rather not have everything laid out on the table at the moment.

So I settled on the most logical thing I could think of to regain control of the situation.

"I know the future."

Everything was silent as he blinked at me in a mixture of shock and disbelief.

_Well… shit._

* * *

**So... another chappy done and I'm sorry it was so 'blah' but this chapter is the building blocks for the FUTURE!**

FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:

**I'm terrified of balloons. Don't ask me why, but as soon as I see that rubbery sack of breathy-doom hovering anywhere near me, I black out and the carnage afterwards may as well be World War 3.**

**My favourite food isn't actually a food, per say. I love smoothies. Fruit, ice, ice cream. Blend that shit and I'll enjoy it.**

**Turtles breathe out of their assholes. You know... just coz they can.**

**... I wonder if that applies to the Sanbi, too... Hmmm...**

**Food for thought LOL!**


	9. The niche and sadistic Scarecrows

**Ohayo! SOOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!**

**I was busy with work and family stuffs but it's all good now because here's a new chappy!**

**Enjoy, my beautiful, beautiful people.**

**I love getting alerts whenever a new fave or follow is added to the story.**

**Gives me the warm and fuzzies. I also may, or may not, squeal like a schoolgirl whenever I receive them, too.**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

The air was tense and it was so incredibly _silent_ that if I couldn't sense the Sandaime's chakra I would have thought I was all alone.

Finally, _finally_ the older man broke the silence.

"This is no joke, little one," he intoned, utterly serious and terrifying.

I almost sagged with relief – because I had most definitely _not_ meant to blurt that particular piece of information out – but I remained stiff. I had grown complacent in my dealings with a man who I didn't truly _know_. But I couldn't take my words back now they were out in the open.

If the Hokage wasn't keeping a close eye on me before, he most certainly was going to now.

"A-ano, Hokage-sama, I-I didn't mean t-to joke. I just… it's her _chakra_," I stuttered, an idea forming. "It's warm and bright, almost _exactly like_ my kaa-chan's but… there's something else under it."

I wasn't technically lying. I _knew_ she was the Kyuubi jinchuriki so there was the nine-tails chakra melded into her own pathways. I just hadn't seen it. He didn't need to know that though.

I tilted my head in mock puzzlement. "Why is her chakra different?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself over, Akani-chan," he murmured distantly, no doubt lost in thought. "You claim to know the future?"

I couldn't read anything from his voice, but his chakra was steely. I gulped and turned my head away from him. I was in turbulent, shark infested waters with a leaky boat and no life-jacket. I had to be smart about my words.

"Flashes, Hokage-sama. Voices, mostly. Whispers that come to me when I dream. That's how I knew Kushina-sensei was something more to me as well. She's family."

The Sandaime hummed, and I tensed when he took a breath in. "Prove it."  
I blinked. "E-eh?"

"You claim to hear… whispers of the future when you dream. Have you dreamt of anything that hasn't come to pass?"  
_If only you knew,_ I thought dryly, but answered with a nod.

"I ask again, Akani-chan. Prove it."  
I wracked my brain for something that was monumental and noteworthy, yet not so life-changing that it would skew the events in the world I knew. I exhaled through my nose, and revealed something that could potentially bring me under even more scrutiny in the future.

"Sakumo-sama… he's going to abandon a mission to save his comrades and he… he's ostracized for it. He's shamed and kills himself."

It almost scared me how detached and emotionless I sounded.  
"When?" The Sandaime was taking care to keep his voice blank as mine.

"Soon. Maybe within the year but I can't be sure."

I'd later re-run this conversation through my mind, thinking of a million and one different ways I could have warped it but what's done is done. I'd sealed my fate and through my potential knowledge of the future I'd just bound myself to the village.

I'd already agreed to become a kunoichi of the Leaf so that was enough incentive for him to leave well enough alone. No doubt he'd put a pair of trusted eyes on me but that was okay.

My plans wouldn't come to fruition for another few years so I had time to plan.

I wondered when I'd gotten so deviously smart.

"The medics said your observation was almost complete and your chakra pathways are clear. You're free to leave tomorrow morning," the Sandaime stated, shocking me a little by his abrupt change in topic. I opened my mouth to ask where I'd be staying when he cut me off, "I'll find a family to agree to take you in until you become genin and can pay your own way. You'll be picked up in the morning. I've taken the liberty of completing your enrolment to the Academy."

Well, that was enlightening. Considering there was a war on the horizon I'd estimate myself to be on my own within the year. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

The elder man simply hummed and stood, turning towards the door. I spoke up as he was about to deactivate the silencing seals.

"Ano, Hokage-sama?" Once I had his attention I continued, "Please. Don't tell anyone about this. I… Bad people would come after me."  
"Why do you think that, Akani-chan?" he asked softly.

"Knowledge is power," I repeated, "And absolute power corrupts absolutely. I'd be exploited. Please. I promise to come to you but… please. Don't tell anyone." I didn't care that I was begging. Things had to stay as close to the timeline as possible, and if _Danzo_ somehow got wind of a child seer, well… I didn't really want to think about that.  
He didn't say anything, simply turning on his heel and exiting my room, the seals fading until my world was dark again.

Once I sense his chakra disappear from the hallway I let out a slightly hysterical sob and flopped back onto my bed, digging my palms into my sightless eyes.

"Akani, you're a moron," I berated myself.

I could almost feel the eyes and ears trained on me already.

* * *

My sleep was fitful to say the least. Every time I began to drift I'd be assaulted by a noise that sounded like static but was hushed by the cacophony of screams that bled in from the background. It was a nightmare, literally.

There were voices I recognised and some I didn't but they all cried out in one never-ending garble. I could only hear a few snippets of words, sometimes sentences and I hated it.

The voices were telling me I was going to fail everyone.

I probably looked a right mess and was flying on autopilot for most of my final medical examination but all I could think of was '_unknown guardian, house, bed, bed, sleep, bed_.'

I blinked slowly as the door to my room slid open. I hadn't been flaring my chakra so I didn't know who it was until they entered.

I froze.

"You've got to be freaking kidding me."  
Sakumo chuckled and took my meagre bag of clothes the Hokage had some chunin or other gather for me in one hand, gripping my shoulder with his other. "Come, Akani-chan. You look ready to drop."

I couldn't help but groan in a mixture of agreement and resignation.

This was going to suck.

* * *

When I arrived at the modest three bedroom Hatake residence, Kakashi's reaction was much the same as mine, only turned up to eleven.

"_What?_" He sounded horrified.

I gave him a tired yet cocky smirk. "Greetings, roomie!"

"No," Kakashi growled.  
I blinked. "Eh?"  
"No. I refuse to be in the same _vicinity_ as this… this…"

"Amazing, wonderful, fantastic girl who happens to be your best friend?" I offered.

"_Thing_," he finished in a hiss.

Ouch.

"_Kakashi_," Sakumo scolded sharply, the seven year old shrinking back under his father's stern gaze. "Hokage-sama asked if we would be kind enough to provide Akani-chan with a place to live until she becomes a genin."

Translation: Hokage-sama ordered us to keep an eye on her.

I could read between the lines. Mainly because I'd already expected it.

I searched beside me and grabbed Sakumo's pant leg, tugging a little to get his attention. "Sakumo-sama, does Kushina-sensei know that I'm staying here?"

"Hai. She said she'll come by tomorrow lunch time to begin your lessons."  
I nodded as he led me inside. I made sure to keep myself attached to Sakumo's leg so I didn't knock anything over. I stumbled a little when my foot caught on the step up to the main house but Sakumo's lightning quick reflexes caught me before I could even tip sideways.

I offered a shaky smile towards him in thanks. I was slightly shocked at how fast he'd moved. I'd barely even registered his flare in chakra in his muscles since it was so minute. Every action of his was calculated and measured with pinpoint accuracy.

And Kakashi was – or soon would be – the same.

It was unnerving.

"Kakashi, show Akani-chan to the guest room and be sure to let her know where everything is."  
"Hai."  
My hand was separated from Sakumo's pant leg and placed onto Kakashi's shoulder. He began to walk forward, regardless if I was ready to move or not. I dug my fingers into his shoulder and grinned a tad viciously when he sucked in a sharp breath. _Inconsiderate jerk._

"What the hell is your problem?" he bit out.

"What the hell is _your_ problem?" I countered.

"My home, ergo my rules. You answer my question first," he said calmly.

I ground my teeth. "I haven't got a problem, save the fact that I'm once again stuck with a babysitter-"

"_Minder_."

"-and his insanely strong father who may or may not have orders from the Hokage to keep an eye on me while a freaking war is about to break out."  
I felt Kakashi go stiff. "What war?" he answered carefully. If I hadn't felt his chakra, I would have thought he didn't know but the slight quiver of unease that shook his blue was enough for me to see he was measuring his answers.

I shrugged. "Just a guess," I said airily, "I can _feel_ the tension in the village. Just the walk from the hospital to here had me curious."

"And you thought that the _shinobi_ you passed who have _incredibly dangerous professions _and just so happen to carry a certain _tension_ or _weight_ about their shoulders, that _war_ is coming?" he asked as if he'd misheard me.

"Yes," I answered dryly. "Why else would they be pumping kids out of the Academy if not to fill the ranks?"  
"Maa, you think too much," he deflected, but I knew he knew I was right.

My eyebrow twitched. "And others think too little. What's your point?"  
"You're too mature for your age. It's weird."  
"Look who's talking, Kashi-chan."  
"At least I _can_ look."  
I stopped dead in my tracks, hand falling from his shoulder to lay limp at my side.

I'd thought I was prepared for any number of blind innuendoes thrown at me, convinced I was strong enough to not care about my disability anymore because it was all I ever knew. I'd convinced myself I _didn't want to see._ I was a liar.

But he didn't have to remind me of the fact.

I would only have the fading memories of what colour the sky and trees were, what he would look like when he was grown. The biggest kicker was that I didn't even know what _I_ looked like. I didn't know if I was ugly, cute or pretty, if I had any freckles or other blemishes on my skin such as scars from my time locked in a cage.

I'd rather forget or pretend I was _normal_, just like Tia was.

So. Freaking. Normal.

"Thank you, Kakashi-san," I murmured, unaware that he'd stiffened at the absent nickname. _Thank you for reminding me that I can't afford complacency, that I should be careful of how much I should _care. "I can make my own way from here."

I skirted around his still form, hand skimming the hallway walls on either side of me until I touched a doorframe. I bypassed the rooms that smelled of Kakashi and Sakumo, eventually finding another that smelled slightly of dust.

I closed the door behind me just as the first tear fell.

* * *

Dinner was incredibly awkward.

Sakumo didn't ask questions.

I didn't offer an explanation.

The sukiyaki was delicious.

* * *

Before I knew it a new day dawned and it was lunch time. I was seated in the Hatake living room, a vibrating Kushina sitting opposite me. The Hatake men were both called away for missions, so I was left alone. Or at least it seemed that way.

If I pushed myself I could feel the incredibly compressed chakra of the two ANBU hiding outside of the house. I tried that the moment the Hatake's left, and gave myself a headache and a nosebleed. I could still see the ghostly imprints of blue burned into my minds eye.

It was clear from the moment she opened her mouth that Kushina had no idea how to teach a child but she was patient and kind, sometimes whapping me over the head when I asked a stupid question – _why put in a seal chakra filter?_ Because if you don't you could literally _blow up._ Duh? – or if I looked like I was about to give up and snap my calligraphy brush in half.

She had me repeat the basic kanji and cipher symbols so much I could do it in my sleep.

All in all, I lost myself in the intricate art of sealing, my brain processing the formulas and series quickly.

Tia's background as a binary hacker came in handy after all.

I paused mid brush stroke, a question frothing in my mind.

"Ano, Kushina-sensei?"  
"Hm?" She was just as distracted by her scroll work as my mother was with hers.

I almost smiled at the similarity.

Almost.

"Do you think it's possible to create a new sealing script?"  
Kushina's hand stilled, her brush clattering gently as she rested it on the ink dish. She was seriously considering my question. "Sealing script in incredibly complex because of the layers. If you broke a complex array into smaller parts, anyone with knowledge of the basics could decode it. But there lies the secret. _Layers_. It's like a jigsaw puzzle that has a million different pieces that fit together in a million different ways but only one way will create the complete picture. To create a new script is _theoretically_ possible, but it would literally take years to suss out how to mesh the new symbols together to create something as easy as a storage scroll or basic exploding tag."  
I wilted, my happy thoughts fleeing somewhere dark to die. "Oh."  
"Why did you want to know?"  
I shrugged helplessly. "I guess, since I'm blind, I'm used to reading in Braille which is kind of like a code. I just thought I could make a script that suited me."  
She reached across the piles of scrap paper and ink to pat my hand in a somewhat comforting manner. "Written seals aren't going to be your niche, Akani-chan, but I'd much rather have you know the basic kanji to progress, than to go straight into offensive fuinjutsu and not know what exactly the seal does. Understand?"  
I nodded, brightening a little. The thought of learning something as interesting as sealing was exciting.

Even more exciting was that this was my _heritage_.

I liked interesting things.

My sadness was forgotten and I dug into my lessons with more fervour, shocking the older Uzumaki… for about thirty seconds.

Then the _real_ lessons began.

I almost fainted when she told me I'd been doing practice runs for four hours straight.

* * *

Because of my tactile ability to memorise surfaces and direction, I was able to make it back to 'my' room without much fuss. I rubbed my aching wrists as I sat on the small futon. Kushina had left not ten minutes ago, taking her cheery blue with her while shouting out how she was the best teacher ever because her student was so smart.

Wasn't _I_ the one supposed to be gloating about my intelligence?  
Oh well.

Thankfully pushing chakra into the ink pot and brushes hadn't been draining. Since my chakra nature had changed it had taken me a while to get used to it and even longer to gauge my levels. The 'foreign' chakra was slowly becoming 'my' chakra once more.

I focused my hand in a single seal and pushed a chakra mist outwards before drawing it back in. The air reverberated and an echo was sent out into the small room. I could see the wrinkles in the bed sheet, the wood grains of the floorboards… hell, I could even see that small spider scurrying across the window sill.

My grin was probably really goofy but I didn't care because I didn't feel as drained as I did in the hospital. I pushed and pulled my chakra again, this time closer to my body. The results were the same but I noticed my field didn't stretch as far.

I tilted my head in thought.

Obviously the less chakra I used meant a smaller range, but that wasn't too bad. I could avoid people by watching out for their chakra. Even civilians had chakra, albeit it was small and undeveloped. The biggest problem for me was my inability to avoid things right in front of me because, _duh_, I was blind.

I stood up and focused my chakra once more, pushing and pulling until the echo reached me. Just as it was about to fade I repeated the process, noting that when the second echo touched the first it seemed to amplify the resonance.

My eyes widened.

If each echo amplified the last, then I didn't need to use as much chakra as the first echo. All I needed to do was get the timing right before sending out the second and continued waves to get the most out of the echolocation.

I sighed and slapped my cheeks, primping them a little until I was as awake as I could be.

"Right, Akani, time to get to work! Control, refine and time."

I fell asleep from exhaustion an hour later, a contented smile on my face.

* * *

A sandal found purchase in my ribs, lifting until I was flopped over and onto my back. I groaned and flared my chakra without opening my eyes.

"Goway," I mumbled, turning back over to bury myself in my futon.

"Get up."  
"No." My voice was muffled by the futon but Kakashi got the gist of what I was saying.

"Get up. Time for practice."  
I frowned into my pillow. "Whapractice?"

I heard him sigh before I was weightless and being flung over his small shoulder. I squawked a little at the rough handling, slapping his back to put me down but he didn't budge. He was using chakra to reinforce his muscles, the jerk.

"Lemme go, you jerkface!" I groaned, slumping until I was deadweight on his frame. I took joy in the slight grunt of effort he let out.

"Time for practice," he repeated.

"Practice what?" I yawned. "What time is it?"  
"Five."  
"In the _morning_?" I squeaked. "Who gets up this early?"  
"Ninja," he said dryly.

"Well, _duh_, but I'm not a ninja! I'll tell you what I am, though, I'm-"

"Annoying," he deadpanned.

"_Tired_," I hissed. "Don't think I've forgiven you for what you said the first day I was here, by the way."

"I wasn't apologising," he said simply. I bristled a little and flared my chakra, slapping him on the back with more force than I thought I was capable of because we were both sent sprawling. I landed on top of Kakashi with an 'oof.' "Ow, ow, ow," I groaned. "You're _so_ not comfortable to land on."  
"G-get off me!"

I scrabbled away from him, sending out an echolocation to find Kakashi rubbing the side of his face. He was caught off guard, and he didn't like it. I gave him a sheepish smile.

"Oops?" I offered. "Well, consider us even now."  
"Even how?" he snapped.

"Oh hush, Mr Cranky Pants," I chided, smirking when he clenched his hands in frustration, "You hurt my feelings, I planted your face into the ground. Therefore, we're even."  
Five year old logic.

He didn't say anything other than tugging me up and pushing me onwards so I assumed he accepted the flimsy excuse. To be honest, even though it was purely accidental, seeing Kakashi flabbergasted by being caught off guard by a five year old was pretty amazing.

He _really_ needed to get that stick removed from his butt.

I was dragged outside where Sakumo was waiting patiently for both of us.

"Good morning, Akani-chan," he greeted pleasantly. I gave him a half-hearted wave in response, which earned me a slap over the back of my head from Kakashi.

I glared at him but greeted Sakumo with a small, respectful bow. "Good morning, Sakumo-sama."  
"You didn't join us for dinner last night," he said. He was digging for a reason why. No doubt he had checked on me to make sure I was still in the house, though.

He wanted a reason, so I'd give him one. "I apologise, Sakumo-sama. I depleted my chakra reserves while experimenting with the echolocation jutsu Hokage-sama taught me."  
I could feel Kakashi freeze beside me. Whether from learning a jutsu from the God of Shinobi himself or my formal tone, I didn't know.

I checked a smirk. Kakashi was an incredibly skilled boy, but he still had a lot of things to learn until he was apathetic and calm in every situation. The fact that I was constantly catching him off guard with my bipolar behaviour and attitude was amusing.

The only other person that could garner a reaction from him would be…

I paled a little. _Guy._

Whether Sakumo noticed, he didn't mention anything. "You're feeling up to a little practice this morning, though, Akani-chan?"  
"Hai."  
"Good. We'll go through some stretches before we move onto kata's, pushups, situps, squats and a jog around the village." I paled a little, and to my horror he didn't stop there. "Then we'll come back here to test out your jutsu affinity."  
I frowned. "Elemental affinity?"  
He was quiet for a moment until, "No. I meant whether you were inclined towards nin, gen or tai jutsu."  
"Oh."

"Let's begin," Sakumo said a _little_ too happily.

Beside me I swore I heard Kakashi snicker at my defeated expression.

* * *

Three hours – that seemed to feel like an _eternity_ – passed and I was so sore I didn't think I would be able to move.

But I did.

Even if that movement was just to collapse onto my bed. I was too sore to even get some breakfast. All I wanted was to sleep.

Turns out I was more inclined towards taijutsu because of my natural flexibility.

Genjutsu was out because of my blindness, same with a majority of ninjutsu. I couldn't cast an illusion because since all I could see was black, it would be noticeable on the battle field.

Basic ninjutsu like clone and henge were also out. My clones, according to Sakumo, lacked _definition_, which by translation meant they sucked because they were entirely black. Same with henge. I couldn't see anyone's facial features with detailed accuracy without touching them and even then my henge came out all warped.

Thankfully Sakumo noticed I would be able to use body-switch. _That_ was a lot harder than I thought.

"Control, refine and time," I repeated to myself, grimacing as I moved a muscle wrong. I heard the door open and I glared towards the smug blue blob simply standing there. "What? Can't you leave me to wallow in peace?"

"Just thought you'd like to know that we practice _twice_ a day. Once before breakfast, and another before dinner," Kakashi said a little too airily.

I balked. "_Eh?_"  
"Uzumaki-san said she'll be over at eleven instead of twelve, so I suggest you don't get too comfortable. You still have house chores to do."

"What? What about you?" I snapped. "You live here too."  
"Hai, but _I'm_ a shinobi, therefore I have missions to complete today. The cleaning gear is under the kitchen sink." With that he left, his chakra vibrating with satisfaction.

I groaned and sat up, biting my lip as my body protested.

"Welcome to hell, Akani," I murmured to myself. I couldn't wait until I got my own place.

My resolve for that sentiment doubled when I sent out an echolocation and spotted the piles of dishes left in the sink, as well as the mud tracked through the house to Kakashi's room.

This sucked.

Totally.

* * *

"Good morning, Akani-chan! How are you feeli- oi, what's with the cranky face?"  
I twitched. "Gomen, Kushina-sensei. It's nothing."

* * *

**Sorry for the late update once again. Life gets in the way sometimes, ya know?**

**:)**

**FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**My favourite colour is green.**

**My favourite number is 3.**

**One of my ****_least favourite things in the freaking world_**** is when people pronounce 'anything' like 'anythink.' *twitch* I don't know why, but it annoys me to no end.**


	10. The Glaring Truth

**ANOTHER CHAPTER!**

**WOOT!**

**Only because I love you guys so much.**

**Plus, it's the longest one so far...**

**Given, it's only an extra 1000 or so but still... :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

The following months were what I imagined hell to be like. Don't get me wrong, Sakumo was incredible – and I may or may not have a minor case of hero worship – but Kakashi…

The sadistic little jerk 'suggested' to his father to help me with my taijutsu since I solidified my teachings through movement and I had an aptitude for it.

Those were painful days.

He enjoyed every one of the spars he dominated, I'm sure.

But regardless, I learnt quickly. The mixture of my adult maturity and child's ability to learn were extremely helpful and once I learnt how to infuse my muscles with chakra to ward off fatigue and gain speed I grew by leaps and bounds.

My parents teaching became a mantra; control and refine.

Kushina had deemed me far enough along in my knowledge of the basics that she even taught me a beginners offensive barrier seal. It was pre-prepared in a small scroll I kept tucked into my shirt. All I had to do was whip it out in a certain situation and the entire area was spread with the sealing array that either blocked or hindered an enemy within range for three seconds. Not long, but if you were skilled enough even three seconds was too long.

I made sure to make a bunch of them, proud of my calligraphy skills that even Kushina was impressed with.

I gloated for most of the day until Kakashi literally made me eat dirt in one of our 'friendly spars.'

I'd advanced further along with my echolocation jutsu so that I could keep it up for most of the day without feeling too much of a drain and had gotten used to the outlines of objects and people so I could make out vague faces.

I teased Kakashi about his gravity defying hair more than once, which of course resulted in him exacting revenge through a physical beating. I didn't mind so much since it got me riled up and taught me how to think on my feet. I wasn't sure if it was a left-over imprint from Tia or my Uzumaki blood that made me reach boiling point so quickly.

Probably a bit of both.

I'd heard more than one whisper around the market district about how Kushina was turning 'such a sweet, innocent girl' into a mini clone.

Needless to say I beamed with pride.

Given, I couldn't even land a blow on Kakashi during our spars, but not from want of trying. Our fights were full of one sided barbs I threw at him and body flips he performed flawlessly on me.

I lost.

A lot.

My birthday came and went, and so did Kakashi's eighth birthday. It was only during one of my lessons with Kushina that I found out I'd already turned six. She was mortified that she missed it so she zipped out to buy me something.

She came back with a pair of goggle-like sunglasses.

Oh, the irony.

I wasn't sure whether to be insulted – _you have pretty eyes, Akani-chan but they're so weird_ – or ecstatic – _so these will help keep them hidden. After all, a ninja's greatest weapon is deception_.

Deception. There was that word again. I still had so much to learn, it seemed.

I haven't taken them off since I got them, and noticed how people treated me differently. They treated me like any other 'normal' child instead of a glass china doll. I revelled in the independence and gave Kushina a large hug which she freaked out over until awkwardly giving me a pat on the head. It was one of the best days since my parents passed and I thanked her for it.

And then the day I dreaded came.

The Academy.

Sakumo was off on a mission so Kakashi had to 'escort' me to the front gates. I think he deliberately guided me down the roads with the most potholes.

Hey, I said I'd come far with my echolocation. I didn't say it was perfect.

I arrived at the Academy covered in a fine layer of dust from tripping over more than one curb, much to the young chunin's delight. I vowed to exact revenge as soon as possible. The area in front of me was a mass of blue, some larger than others; most belonged to children of my age group.

Kakashi left without a word and I sighed, unwilling to cross the threshold, so to speak because once I did…

It all became _real_. Given, I'd felt pain and happiness, but that was different somehow. It was like taking that one little step forward, through the gate and into the Academy grounds, I'd signed my life away.

I was Akani, but Tia was a part of me too. This was both of our second chances, even if she wasn't with me anymore. We shared the same soul, and that connection wasn't something you could easily forget, nor the imprinted memories that came with it.

I found myself missing her, even though I'd only spoken to her in limbo.

"Would you please step aside?"  
The soft-spoken voice made me jump and I whirled around, pressing myself against the fence to let the young boy pass. He was around my age, perhaps a year older. I took note of his chakra, only to frown a little as I sensed it _writhing_. He stopped next to me, barely turning his head in my direction.

"Would you kindly stop flaring your chakra? You are making my kikaichu act in a rather uncouth manner."

I blinked. _Aburame_. He was so… formal. I offered him a bright grin. "Sorry! I kinda need to flare my chakra though."  
"It is quite… potent," he said.

I blinked again, curious. "Really? Huh… Cool." I thrust my arm towards him. "Name's Akani. What's yours?"  
Through my echolocation it seemed he was staring at my hand in something akin to disbelief. I hastily wiped it on my pant leg before holding it out again. "Sorry. I fell over a few times on the way here."

He gingerly took my hand and my smile brightened. Maybe the Academy wouldn't be so bad after all. "So, what's your name?"

"Muta Aburame," he offered.

"Nice to meet ya! Your clan uses the bugs, right?" I asked, recognising the name from one of the book Kushina read to me.

"Hai." He seemed indifferent, but his chakra was quivering slightly. He was calm, but nervous. He hid it extremely well, though.

"That's so cool! They live inside you, right? You use them to fight? Can you feel them? Does it feel weird? Are you okay?"  
My questions seemed to floor him, especially the last one but he regained his refined air quickly. "My kikaichu live in perfect symbiosis within my body and my clan uses techniques that require their cooperation and unique talents. I have gotten used to their movements sometime ago and yes, I am fine."  
I nodded sagely. "Of course, of course." I paused. "What's 'symbiosis' mean?"  
He began to explain – in no minor detail – how the kikaichu live inside of their host's body and feed on their chakra and I was lost in learning something new.

I didn't even realise we were inside of the classroom until Muta moved to take a seat at the back. I made to follow him, only to trip over a foot and face plant into the floor. I lifted my head to glare at the wobbling mass of blue, a small sphere of chakra that could only come from a civilian family. Still, clan or no clan didn't matter on the battlefield.

"Ouch," I said venomously.

The boy snickered harder. "How can you expect to be a good ninja if you can't even _watch_ where you're going?" His band of merry friends around him joined in on the laughter.

_Oh, the _irony!

Once again I was thankful for my sunglasses. I stood gracefully and tugged my shirt back into some semblance of order, brow furrowed. I'd heard about these… _bullies_. Often they tried to belittle others to make themselves feel good.

He was obviously an arrogant one, picking on one of the youngest kids in class because it made him feel stronger.

I stuck my nose up at him. "I don't have to be a good ninja. I just have to be good enough to beat _you_."  
The entire class was silent now, watching the scene with amusement or interest.

The boy scoffed. "Please. _Run home_ little girl. Go play ninja elsewhere."  
I gave him a cold smile and his chakra froze a little in shock. I said nothing, instead continuing on my way towards Muta and took the seat beside him. I ignored the whispered 'ews' from the girls. Seriously? They wanted to be kunoichi?

The bug thing must freak a few people out since the row he was in and the desks before him were completely empty. It made me want to pull out my hair in frustration. People were obviously idiots.

In my book, it didn't matter what you looked like or what tools you used, it was the skill you had and what you did with said skill that made you a good person or not.

Muta was pretty cool, ergo I sat with him.

I gave him a nod. "Sup?"

"Hello," he greeted calmly.

His chakra said otherwise. He was obviously in shock. It was so minute I would have missed it before I was experimented on. I could say that much now. I was emotionally detached from the experience. I didn't think it was healthy but for the moment it was working, so I went with that.

"I apologise for asking again, but please refrain from flaring your chakra," he murmured.

I blinked, not that he could see it. My mouth formed an 'O' in realisation. "Oh, sorry it's just… I have to flare it if I want to see."  
"Pardon?"

Well, at least he asked nicely. I slid my glasses down my nose so he could see my milky eyes. "I'm blind. I use a chakra echolocation jutsu so I'm spatially aware so that's probably what your little friends are picking up on." I slid my glasses back into the rightful position. "I'll try and tone it down, though. Unless… you want me to… sit somewhere else?"  
I couldn't help but fidget as he was silent, until, "No. That is fine. My kikaichu enjoy the taste of your chakra. As I said, it is quite potent. They will refrain from devouring it, though."  
I sagged with relief. He hadn't sent me away. "Thanks. Tell your kikaichu I said thanks too!"  
"I will."

I got the impression he thought I was weird, but that's okay. I liked weird.

Our sensei strolled in, barking at the class to settle down. His chakra was tense, and I could tell he didn't want to be here, but he stayed regardless. His name was Akio-sensei and he was a veteran of the Second Shinobi War and retired jonin.

He was a rather blunt man and didn't hesitate to throw the chalkboard eraser at a child's head. So far only one of them ducked fast enough to avoid damaged brain cells.

One of them wasn't my bully.

I couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped and the boy turned to attempt to make me spontaneously combust with his eyes. Good thing I was blind so completely missed it. Apparently it ticked him off more.

The first two hours was filled with theory of chakra – which I already knew – and the applications of said energy – again, _which I already knew_.

I was more excited to be outside when Akio-sensei called for physical and stamina training.

My hopes plummeted when I realised I was one of the more hyperactive children with boundless energy. My life force as an Uzumaki had its perks, which was stamina.

Lots of stamina.

I overlapped the others in my class twice before Akio-sensei called for us to stop. We then took turns punching and kicking a training log each. By that stage I was frustrated because I'd spent so long training with Sakumo and Kakashi that this slower pace was grating on my nerves. I unconsciously pushed chakra into my fist and the bark exploded off the log, coating me in bits of wood.

I could only blink dumbly at what had happened. Akio-sensei called a time out and ordered the others to do some stretches, pulling me aside. I vaguely wondered if the Hokage had spoken to him too, to keep an eye on me.

"Akani-chan, what did you just do to the training log?" Just like always, his voice was gravelly and emotionless.

I shrugged helplessly. "I got frustrated and punched it. I think I channelled chakra into my fist though."

Akio-sensei simply hummed and told me to warm down, leaving me confused. I wasn't in trouble, was I? Because that was the last thing I needed.

During the course of the day I avoided my bully – Kasai, I'd found his name was – and sat with Muta during lunch making amiable conversation. Before I knew it, it was home time.

And I certainly wasn't expecting the company that greeted me.

Kakashi was incredibly rigid and ignored me, while the ANBU behind him was the picture of calm. I approached them, more than a little wary. "A-ano, Kakashi-san?" I wouldn't embarrass him in front of his comrades by calling him 'Kashi-chan.' That was only in private.

"Hokage-sama needs to see you," Kakashi replied, dull, emotionless. He flickered out of view before I could ask anything else and suddenly the ANBU's hand was firmly on my shoulder and the world was spinning.

The ground disappeared from beneath me and suddenly it was there again, leaving me a little off balance and more than a little dizzy. I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep my lunch from coming up. "Please," I gasped, "Don't do that again."

I wouldn't have been surprised if I was green.

I flared my chakra and stiffened, noting I was in the presence of the Hokage. My echolocation confirmed that I was in his office and another flare of chakra told me we were now alone, a silencing seal firmly in place.

"Akani-chan," the Sandaime greeted me.

I fidgeted a little, nervous. "Hokage-sama," I replied respectfully.

"I'll cut right to the chase then, shall I?"  
I sagged a little, shaking. "P-please."  
"This morning I received a mission report from an infiltration squad sent out along Fire-Grass border to intercept a certain scroll containing information on Iwa's scout patrols."  
I nodded. "Okay. Forgive me, Hokage-but what-"

"The mission was abandoned by the squad leader when it was deemed too dangerous. They were attacked by a contingent of Iwa shinobi and although it was a requirement to finish the mission, the leader chose to save his comrades instead."  
I paled. "Oh, Kami."  
"The leader was Hatake Sakumo."  
"Oh, _sweet Kami_," I breathed. Now Kakashi's stiffness made sense. As a shinobi, you were taught that the mission came first and he lived by that rule. To know that his father who he admired so much went against the rules must be confusing and frustrating for him. "Is… what… how…" I didn't really know what to say.

I strode forward and slumped into the chair in front of the Hokage's desk, my knees no longer willing to hold me upright. The Hokage steepled his fingers and assessed me, making me sweat even though the air was gradually becoming more chilly.

"His comrades did not take this action too well," the Sandaime continued. I closed my eyes and swallowed past the lump in my throat. I knew what was coming. "So tell me, Akani-chan, what else do you know?"  
I sighed long and heard, if just to make a sound to drown out my rapid heartbeat. "I know a lot of things, Hokage-sama," I hedged.

"Such as?"

"The future I've seen is bleak and bad things will happen. I intend to change them."

"So your dreams are of _a_ future?"  
"Hai. Anything could change and I'd be lost but… Hokage-sama, I don't want anyone to get hurt."  
"… Such a burden for one so young. Your life hasn't been the easiest."  
I gave him a wry smile. "And you shouldn't blame yourself for that, Hokage-sama."

His chakra froze and I realised my mistake. "You know who took you?"  
I slumped but nodded. "It's not your fault you couldn't finish him, Hokage-sama. You can't cut bonds like that so callously."  
"Didn't stop my wayward student, I'm afraid," he admitted bitterly.

I bit my lip. "They're buried, but not gone. At least I don't think so. Hokage-sama, _please_, the future I've seen is terrible and beautiful but a lot of good people will die if I don't do something about it."  
He was quiet for a long time, mulling over possibilities and questions to drill me with. "What is it like? This future you've seen?"  
I smiled warmly, catching the older man off guard. "Pain and determination brings the five nations together under a ball of sunshine against a common enemy," I answered.

"And pray tell, who is this enemy?"

I considered telling him, but I couldn't guarantee he wouldn't go out and do something to counteract a certain event to suit his own agenda. "I apologise, Hokage-sama, but I can't say."  
"Can't, or won't?"  
"Both. A drop in the pond can create an unstable ripple, Hokage-sama. Certain things need to change, and certain things – bad things – have to happen. It's going to be difficult, but you'll have to trust me."  
"I thought you didn't want anyone hurt?"  
"I don't, but I trust that people are strong enough to endure the bad. Most of them have the Will of Fire, after all."  
The Hokage cracked a small smile at my words. "Know that you have council with me, little one."  
I nodded. I guessed as much, but it still didn't mean I would follow through. Maybe with the large scale things coming in the future, but not the small things I could change myself. "Hai, Hokage-sama."  
"You're not in this alone."

I gave him a rueful smile, thinking of Tia and the people who'd become precious to me in such a short space of time. "I know."

And I did.

Maybe this wasn't such a screw up after all.

* * *

The Hokage was kind enough to have an ANBU escort me back to the Hatake residence where I hesitated at the front door. I could feel Sakumo's chakra signature in the kitchen and it was so dull and hopeless I almost cried. How could I change this? The words of one child wouldn't be able to make up for the scorn of hundreds, would it? Had Kakashi said anything about this? If he had, could I reverse what damage the man's son had caused?

My mind was a complete blank but I couldn't hesitate now. A good man was contemplating doing something awful and I'd gotten close to Sakumo these last few months.

He was a kind, humble man who people looked up to and that couldn't go to waste.

With a deep breath I opened the door and entered, plastering a large smile on my face. "Sakumo-sama! Are you here?"

I saw his chakra freeze and I dashed towards the kitchen just as he was gearing up to flicker away. "Don't you move!" I shouted. He ignored me and disappeared to his bedroom the moment I came around the corner. I could smell tears in the kitchen.

Anger burned in my veins because I suddenly _knew_. Sakumo was a strong man and would be able to take the scorn of others his age in his stride. Only one thing could make him break down like this.

"Kakashi," I snarled. "Sakumo-sama! Whatever people say, _you'll always be my hero!_"

_And I'm going to drag your son back here to prove it to him, too_, I mentally hissed.  
I turned back around and sped from the house, my chakra burning and flaring as I dodged civilians and carts alike, my muscles burning from the activities of the day and my head pounding from stretching out my senses. I planned to keep Sakumo alive because he was a good man, but Kakashi – in one _freaking_ afternoon – managed to ruin my good intentions. I wondered if he would even care if I told him what his father might do.

I was still optimistic that I could save the White Fang.

I felt a shift at the edge of my range, towards a training field, and I automatically knew it was Kakashi. I changed direction and charged head long, uncaring of the stares I was garnering. Most people moved out of my way for their own safety, probably due to the murderous expression gracing my young features.

I burst into the clearing where Kakashi was practicing his kunai throwing. He didn't seem startled that I was there, but then again I wasn't exactly compressing my chakra. I slowed down to a furious fast walk and, uncaring of the sharpened kunai, got right up in his face.

He didn't back away.

"Good evening, Akani-chan," he greeted calmly. "You seem angry about something."  
I jabbed him sharply in the chest. "Damn right I am. What did you say to Sakumo-sama?"  
His demeanour changed instantly from apathetic to frosty and stiff. "I didn't say anything."  
"Then you did something," I accused. "I've heard the rumours, Kakashi. _What did you do?_"  
"Shinobi rule number six-"

The chakra laced punch connected to his face before either of us could react and my breathing was laboured in anger as I flexed my red knuckles. Kakashi lay sprawled on the ground in shock. I cracked my joints. "Get up."  
He didn't. I advanced on him.

"Get _up_, Hatake, so I can _beat you down again_."  
He rose slowly, deliberately and casually dusted himself off. "Maa, don't start something you won't be able to finish, Akani-chan."  
"Oh, believe me, _I want to_," I growled before darting forward, my arm raised. To be honest, the first punch I landed was due to luck. Kakashi was a chunin for a reason, and I hadn't even graduated from the Academy yet but I'd sparred against him so I had an edge in that I kind of knew how he moved.

I dodged and kicked, punched and ducked but I was too slow to keep up with him. And he was holding back. That just served to piss me off more.

Kakashi spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to my ribs and my breath left me in a rush as I was sent tumbling sideways. I hacked up something that tasted like copper and rose once more.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what, jerk?"  
"Why keep getting back up when you know you're outmatched?"

"Because I'm determined to kick the shit out of you!" I howled. "Because that's the only way to get something through that thick _freaking_ skull of yours!" I dashed forwards again, only to have my face smashed into the dirt a moment later.

"Give up. I win," he stated.

I huffed out a laugh. "Really?"

"Yes." His voice was cold. Emotionless. In that moment he was the perfect shinobi.

"So, what?" I asked quietly. "You kill me?"  
"What? No."

"But you'll kill your father?"  
I felt him stiffen above me. "What are you talking about?"  
I took advantage of his distraction and bucked, lacing my limbs with chakra as I swung my legs around to sweep him off his feet. He recovered with a back flip away from me. I sat up, spitting out a globule of blood.

"Don't act dumb. The only one capable of bringing Sakumo-sama to his _knees_ would be you! His _son_. So I'll ask again, _what did you do?_"  
"A shinobi must always put the mission first. A shinobi must detach himself from emotion to complete the mission." He read it word for word from the rulebook.

My scowl deepened. I knew he was a jerk when he was younger, but this was a far cry from the man I admired as someone who would _never_ abandon a comrade.

"So you'd abandon a comrade if the mission required it?" I asked slowly.

"Yes."

"Would you abandon me, too, Kakashi?"

"… Yes."  
I laughed, but it was cold and humourless. "Unbelievable," I murmured. "I'm afraid I don't see eye to eye with that. I told you once I'd take my precious people's place if I could and I would. I didn't think it would hurt this much to know one of them doesn't feel the same way but you know what? I'd still do it."  
"A shinobi-"

"_I've read the fucking rule book, jerk!_" I roared, making him jump. "But I don't agree with most of them!"  
"Then you don't deserve to be a ninja."  
Cold. Emotionless. _Brutal_.

"I suppose not," I agreed, "But I don't have a choice."  
No doubt he was puzzled by my words but I could care less. He was… Ugh, I couldn't believe that my extension of friendship meant so little to him. I thought I could jumpstart his mentality about comrades and never abandoning them, but I was wrong.

Obito was obviously one of a kind.

The silence was tense, until Kakashi decided to break it. "Congratulations on landing a hit."  
I couldn't help it. I laughed.

I laughed right in his face and it was disturbing at how maniacal it sounded. "That doesn't count. It won't count until I can face you like an equal and you'll honestly give me a good fight, Kashi-chan."  
He twitched a little at the nickname, but accepted my words. Without anything left between us he left, leaving me feeling hollower than I thought I should be.

I sighed long and hard, slumping to the ground to rub my aching muscles. A twig snapped and I flared my chakra, wincing as I felt my stomach clench from how depleted it was. I didn't recognise who it was.

"Come out!" I called.

I heard a nervous laugh, followed by more rustling until the person – kid – was standing a few feet away from me. "Heh, heh, sorry about that. Didn't mean to spy on ya."  
I eyed the boy skeptically. "A-huh."

"Why did you fight him?" he asked.

"Why haven't you introduced yourself?" I countered.

"Oh! R-right! Um, my name's Obito Uchiha!" I froze at the name, memories assaulting me but he seemed to take it a different way. "Oh, no, no! Don't worry! I'm a cool Uchiha! I'm not all cranky and whatever, honest!"  
"O-okay." I grimaced at my stutter. I honestly hadn't even thought I'd run into Obito. At all. Konoha was _huge_ and the possibility was incredibly small. It seemed Fate had other plans, though. "My name's Akani. What are you doing here, anyways?"  
"Target practice, but I missed and was looking for my lost kunai when I heard someone shouting and… heh, I got… curious?"

My lips twitched. "I see."  
The silence turned awkward. I rubbed my sore muscles and Obito picked at his nails.

"So," he drew out, "Why were you fighting that guy? He's like… a chunin or something."  
My gaze darkened. "I fought him because he's a jerk that needs a stick pulled out of his ass."  
Obito snorted out a laugh before slapping his hands over his mouth. "S-sorry!" he said when I gave him a strange look, "It's just that… if the girls in my grade overheard you… well…" He shuddered and I got the message. I'd be the victim of pulled hair and clawing.

Yeah, fangirls are not fun.

"Wait," I blinked, "You're still in the Academy?"  
"Uh, yes?"  
"And you're an Uchiha?"  
Obito growled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. We're all supposed to be prodigies right? Well… I'm not!"

"No!" I shouted before I could stop myself. "I didn't mean it like that," I mumbled. "It's just… different. Fresh, I suppose."

"Huh… really?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Most of your clan needs the stick removed from their butts too," I said, thinking of how uptight and proper they were before clapping a hand over my mouth in horror. This guy would turn out to be one of the greatest villains in this world and I'd just insulted his clan! What the hell was wrong with me?!  
Obito collapsed onto his back, literally rolling with laughter. "Oh, _Kami_, tha-that's… so true!"

I sagged with relief. Crisis averted. Despite my aching muscles, I rose to stand on shaky legs, dusting myself off as good as I could. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you around, Uchiha-san."  
"O-oh, okay. B-bye."

I gave him a small smile and a wave before heading back towards the Hatake residence, scowling up at the sky as a sharp wind blew and thunder rumbled. I was still a fair walk until I reached the heart of the village and as much as being stuck in the rain was unappealing, I needed time to cool off. I hoped my parting words to Sakumo had at least given him _something_ to think about, and Kakashi had gone home.

I prayed my meagre words were enough.

* * *

It turned out I was wrong. I wasn't enough, and my words to Kakashi weren't enough.

I stood in the rain and placed a flower on top of Sakumo's casket, returning to Kushina's side.

The funeral was much smaller than I thought it would be, just a handful of close comrades who remained indifferent or ignorant of the rumours about the White Fang.

My eyes were dry. I'd cried enough tears for Sakumo, and for the future I knew Kakashi would have.

I hadn't been able to change this.

And for the first time in this life, I felt true anger.

_Because I hadn't been able to change a fucking thing._

* * *

**Because I felt bad, and the plot bunnies were bouncing around I've posted another chappy for you guys :)**

**Enough useless facts about me, I want to learn more about my readers!**

**Who's your favourite Naruto character and why? What would you do if you met them in real life?**

**Me? Killer B because I think he's awesome and I'll probably try and challenge him to a rap battle which I'd lose horribly at :)**


	11. Tumultuous ground and unshakable faith

**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!**

**I may or may not have to drop back my updating days to every second day.**

**Unless the plot bunnies won't stop bouncing around, then you may get a surprise! :)**

**PS: Broke the 100+ story followers and I couldn't stop smiling for most of the day.**

**I LOVE YOU ALL SO FREAKING MUCH IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY!**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

"Don't you think this is a little inappropriate?" I deadpanned.

"No. Why?"  
I shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because _I'm six?!_"

Kushina snorted and threw another stone at me, the chakra laced projectile aimed for my head. I squeaked and ducked barely in time.

I sent her a glare. "Isn't this child abuse?"

"I prefer the term 'growth encouragement,'" she drawled before flinging two rocks. I managed to avoid one, but the other skimmed a sensitive spot on my calf.

I hissed and hopped on one leg, rubbing the rapidly appearing welt. "Seriously, I know I asked to get stronger quicker but is this really the way to do it?"  
"It's tradition," she explained, letting loose three rocks and giggling maniacally as I hastily bent backwards, my small, lithe body twisting in ways I didn't think possible. "As a girl I was always a headlong brawler so my sensei pulled me aside one day and told me I needed to be more graceful so I could avoid getting hit so much."

I returned to my upright position, hands planted on my hips. "You? Graceful?"

"Brat," she growled. "The point is, you're dodging these by using your echolocation _and_ your sensing ability. Your speed in recognising projectiles is increasing, as well as your self-preservation instincts. You've only been hit a half dozen times."  
I winced as I rolled my shoulder. "Yeah, don't remind me."

"Can you just admit this was a good idea?" she sighed.

"No."

"Why not?"

I rolled my sightless eyes, not that she could see it from behind my glasses. "Don't whine," I chided, secretly amused our age-roles had been reversed. Kushina pouted and looked away and I let loose a giggle. "Is it lunch time yet?"  
Kushina hummed. "I don't know," she said airily. "I was having too much fun to-" Her stomach chose that time to interrupt with a loud growl and she chuckled sheepishly. "Um, yeah, okay we can get some lunch, -ttebane."

"_Finally_," I sagged, rubbing my empty tummy. "All this training is draining."  
"Poetic," Kushina said casually as she began to lead the way into the village. The training field she'd taken me to was a little ways towards the outer wall of the village but it was quiet and had a different topography to the others that I knew of. It was cut through with jagged streams and sand, boulders and trees. Kushina suggested that if I was going to become a strong kunoichi I at least needed to sort out my main source of perception.

I agreed with her.

I had the jutsu timed down to an art and using minimum chakra. I could keep it up the whole day now but the problem with that came with my concentration. Kushina was helping me with that, training me until my echolocation and sensing abilities were second nature so I could focus on doing other things.

Like not dying in a serious fight.

Given, I knew I was only six but the sheer difference between Kakashi and I had made me determined to fill that gap. He was only two years older, but at my age he was already a chunin. Plus the war was now beginning to pick up speed, more of the older generations becoming tense as they received word through intel or the gossip mill.

It hadn't been officially declared but it was as clear as day war was going to break out soon.

I may still be an Academy student but during war times, if you proved yourself, you were given a hitai-ate. The Hokage expected me to perform, even though he didn't say it out loud. I could read beneath the casual conversations though.

He'd mentioned in passing that Akio-sensei had told him of how I channelled chakra to destroy the Academy training log. I wanted to get stronger to reach a level I'd be comfortable at, and told him as much. Next thing I knew, Kushina dragging me to the training fields and having me work on speed, endurance and perception.

"So," Kushina said suddenly, snapping me out of my reverie, "Have you seen Kakashi-kun lately?"

My neutral expression darkened into a scowl. "No. The dweeb is avoiding me."  
Kushina hummed but didn't pry. He was still a sore subject for me at the moment. Sakumo's funeral had been held almost a month ago and I'd seen neither hide nor hair of the White Fang's son. Either he was constantly on missions… or he was avoiding me.

I was willing to bet everything on the latter.

"I can ask Min-"

"No," I sighed, linking my hands behind my head as I walked, "He's avoiding me so let him. When he's willing to talk to me, I'll be here. I'll wait. And then I'll beat the snot out of him for avoiding me in the first place."  
Kushina's chakra pulsed with a funny emotion and I tilted my head at her in confusion as she laughed a little. "It almost stuns me how mature you are," she muttered.

I grinned playfully. "_One_ of us has to be the adult."  
"Oi! I'm mature, -ttebane!" she yelled, gaining the attention of the people we passed. We were entering the market district now, heading towards a small dango stand that the older Uzumaki favoured. "Oh Kami, I can smell that sweet, dumply goodness now."  
"Is 'dumply' even a word?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I dunno but it is now. Oh! Look! It's Mikoto-chan! _Mikoto-chan!_"

Before I knew it, Kushina gripped my wrist and was tugging me through the crowd towards a woman I didn't know, although I felt that I should. Kushina none-too-gently elbowed people out of the way and I offered out broken apologies that got drowned out by their complaints.

Kushina stopped so suddenly I bumped right into her, her body a mass of unmoving muscle. I was sent to the ground, my breath leaving me. I growled. "What is it with people knocking me on my a-"

"_Akani-chan_," Kushina interrupted with sickly sweetness.

I gulped and ducked my head, brushing myself off as I stood. Kushina could be damn scary when she wanted to be, and she didn't exactly approve of my potty mouth. Then again, it wasn't my fault I overheard a few chunin swearing up a storm over memories of their days as genin and doing D-rank missions.

"This is my friend, Uchiha Mikoto. Mikoto-chan, this is Akani-chan," Kushina introduced.  
I offered the older woman a smile before pausing, taking note of the small chakra bundle in her arms that was staring at me with interest. "Nice to meet you, Uchiha-san. Kushina-sensei's told me nothing about you."  
Mikoto chuckled, soft and warm, as Kushina thwapped me over the head. "Kushi-chan always had a horrible memory," she teased.

"So cold, Mikoto-chan!" She whined before suddenly squealing, startling me. "Oh! Is this little Itachi-chan?!"

The name made me freeze as I flared my chakra once more. The boy couldn't have been older than a few months, maybe a year at most, but he was uncannily focused. Memories assaulted me and it pained me to know that in three short years he'd be on the battlefield, witnessing death because of the burdens placed upon his shoulders as clan heir.

It wasn't hard to see why he would be known as a once-in-a-generation genius. Even now he was staring at me with intense focus, small brow furrowed as he looked at me. I'm sure that if I could see, it would have been unnerving.

But I thought it looked freaking adorable.

"Grabbing some lunch, Mikoto-chan?" Kushina asked.

"Hai, just finished. Needed to get out of the house and Itachi loves being outside. Would you like to join us at the park?"  
"Yes!" Kushina practically flounced over to the dango stand and ordered for both of us. The whole time it took from the dango stand to the park couldn't have been more than five minutes. Kushina was a whirlwind of activity, never stopping, while Mikoto took everything in with a genteel smile and a graceful stride. They were like night and day, but maybe that's why they were friends.

Kind of like Kakashi and me, or Kakashi and Obito I suppose.

I didn't think Kakashi wanted to be my friend anymore. Was I really regarded as such in the first place? Probably not.

I shoved those thoughts aside and focused on eating my dango.

I sat on the grass in front of the two adult women currently occupying a bench underneath a rather large oak, Itachi sitting opposite me, silent and observing. He was so chubby.

"Excuse me, Uchiha-san?" I asked, unable to resist anymore.

"Please, just Mikoto is fine," she said warmly, turning her attention to me. She was practically glowing with happiness and it was hard to detach myself from the knowledge she would be a part of something as horrible as a coup d'état.

I smiled brightly up at her. "Mikoto-san, may I touch Itachi-chan's face?"

"Uh…" she seemed bewildered until Kushina leant forward to whisper hurriedly in her ear. She softened. "If it's okay with Itachi-chan. Itachi-chan, would you let Akani-chan play with you?"  
To my amazement the toddler nodded, absolutely serious before wiggling his way towards me. He obviously wasn't quite up to walking just yet. It flustered me a bit when he settled in my lap, staring up at me with large innocent eyes.

I melted.

It wasn't a slow thing. I literally went into a jelly like state immediately and hugged him to me like the precious thing he was. At that moment he wasn't the boy who'd be pressured into becoming the genius he naturally was or the ANBU captain given orders to eliminate his clan.

He wasn't that boy and he wouldn't be for a long time yet. He was just a chubby, incredibly perceptive toddler who crawled over to a complete stranger and sat in her lap with absolute trust.

My fingers ghosted over his face, free from the lines of stress he would later develop. His hair was baby-soft and already quite long, touching his small ears. He was an adorable little kid. "My name's Akani," I introduced slowly.

"'kanee," he cooed.

All movement around me stopped. Even Mikoto and Kushina had paused their conversation to watch the interaction between us. I could only gape at him in shock.

"He just said my name," I whispered before breaking out into a big smile. He was so innocent, and my chest swelled because _this_ was what I was aiming to protect, this innocence and sense of peace.

"It seems he likes you," Mikoto said, a smile in her voice.

I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt and I hugged the chubby toddler again. "Akani-chan likes Itachi-chan, too!"

"'kanee," he gurgled again.

I melted once more.

* * *

The small apartment the Hokage had set me up in after Sakumo's death wasn't flashy. It was a cheap, one-room-fits-all set up close to the Hokage tower and Academy so I didn't have to travel too far to get to class. Kushina had been kind enough to buy me some clothes since I wasn't making a large stipend just yet. The allowance given by the village was enough to cover rent and food, but that was okay. They were tightening budgets – another sign that war was coming.

I didn't have the need for anything nice just yet. I was slightly amazed at how many orphans the village cared for, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Becoming a ninja was a dangerous profession and didn't exactly guarantee a long, productive life unless you were really, _really _good at what you did.

I'd accepted my lot in life the moment I chose to become a kunoichi – I was cannon-fodder, pure and simple.

Cannon-fodder with a difference, however, I mused. I wondered when I turned so cynical.

I sighed and sent out my first echolocation of the day subconsciously, the second, third and fourth following like second nature now. The world was still dark, but now it was outlined in a brilliant teal shade that took a little getting used to at first.

It was still amazing whenever I did it though.

I prepared my breakfast and got ready to go to the Academy, expected to be self-sufficient which thankfully I was. I didn't so much mind being alone, since it gave me time to think about the future but the loneliness sometimes weighed on me. The Sandaime had told me many times I could come to him for council, but I couldn't do that just yet. I didn't know much about this time other than what I was living but the smallest change here could affect the future in an unpredictable way.

As much as I didn't want to get attached to people who I knew might have to die, it was incredibly difficult because I was finding myself _caring._

I slapped myself hard, which dispelled the depressing cloud that settled about my head and left the apartment, taking care to lock the door and tuck the key into my pants pocket before I left.

I was grateful my apartment was on the ground floor. So far, stairs were my enemy.

The day was warm and slightly muggy, people milling about despite the early hour. Since I was so close to the Academy I could hear the voices of my classmates as well as feel their chakra.

I'd managed to memorise most of them.

Including the one currently bounding over to me at top speed. I hunched my shoulders and braced for impact just as Obito tackled me to the ground, sending us both sliding along the dirt.

Since that one instance I ran into him, Obito seemed to pop up out of nowhere. During lunch break a few weeks ago, Obito had recognised me from across the yard and screamed out a greeting at the top of his lungs. It scared the bejesus out of me which was quickly replaced with confusion since I thought his class had a different lunch time to mine.

He did, he was just late. I kind of stopped listening after he got into conspiracy theories about walking trees and aliens that wanted to make him suffer so they put all manners of obstacles in his way on the way to the Academy.

Hey, at least he had imagination.

"Obito! What the hell?!" I yelled, kicking him off me and rising to my feet. I levelled him with a glare and dusted myself off. "That's not how you greet a lady!"  
"Show me a lady and I'll be sure to remember that," he teased only to whine as I planted my fist into his skull.

"Be lucky I didn't add chakra to that," I growled before helping him up. "Seriously, you're never this early. What gives?"

Obito was practically vibrating with excitement. "The genin test is today! I didn't want to be late so I left home super early, even though now I feel bad since I won't be able to help Junko-obaa carry her groceries."

I sighed as his sudden 'doom-and-gloom' attitude. Honestly, I knew he was an idiot before the whole 'death' thing, but I didn't realise it was _this_ bad. Because I could, I flicked his forehead, leaving a bright red mark just above his goggles.

"Honestly, Obito, with a sad attitude like that, how do you expect to past the genin test?" I smirked.

A veritable fire lit from within his body as he pointed at me. "Just you watch, Red!" He cried and I grimaced at the nickname, "I'll become a genin and then I'll unlock my sharingan and be the bestest ninja ever!"

"Bestest isn't a word," I deadpanned. "And please stop calling me 'Red.'"

"Nope!" he chirped.

I scowled and made my way towards the Academy gates, Obito falling into a lazy gait beside me. "Good Kami, you're a _morning person_."  
He chuckled. "Nah, not really but I think the whole day is great!"

"Morning _is_ during the day, baka."  
"Oi! Don't call me stupid!"  
"I didn't call you stupid, I called you a baka."  
"What's the difference?" he pouted.

I grinned brightly. "Easy! An idiot is someone who does stupid things. A lot. Like you. _Baka_."

He hung his head with a groan. "So mean, Akani-chan."  
I patted him on the head just as the morning bell rang. "But you can't imagine life without me. See ya at lunch!"

I hurried to class, parting ways with the boy whose future potential could either make or break the world.

* * *

At lunch Obito avoided me.

He didn't pass and was put into a different class.

Akio-sensei pulled me and a handful of others aside and told me the Hokage had noticed our aptitude in certain areas – meaning he wanted _me_ to graduate as soon as possible – so we would be moving up a few classes too.

That was the first time I met Rin Nohara.

First time Obito met her too.

I missed the simple things already.

* * *

"You the new student?" the teacher – Shouta-sensei – grumbled.

I gave a short bow. I was now officially the youngest in class, and that thought was slightly terrifying. Even Muta had been a year older than me. I was thankful he was moved up too. "Hai. I'm-"

"Yes, yes, Akani, we know," Shouta-sensei snapped harshly. I jumped a little. He was obviously not one to mess around. If his chakra was any indication he didn't want to teach a six year old girl, either. "Take a seat wherever, and pay attention."

I bit my tongue. I still hated being underestimated but I did as I was told. I took the spare seat that was always next to Muta, twitching a little.

"He is quite… rough," Muta whispered.

I twitched again. "Lots of people have sticks up their as-"

I ducked just in time to avoid a chakra-laced piece of chalk Shouta-sensei had thrown at me. It seemed all those 'lessons' from Kushina were paying off. I scowled at the teacher, uncaring if I was being rude. "Oi!"

"Pay attention, girl, and stop whispering to your Aburame friend."  
My teeth clicked as I ground them. "His _name_ is Muta."

Shouta-sensei laughed, and the whole room was silent now. "As I said, stop talking to your _Aburame _friend and pay attention."

I'd had enough. Conveniently, I forgot he was at _least_ a chunin and I was only an Academy student who he could kill a thousand different ways with his thumb. But I, like always, got riled up too easily. "What the hell is your problem, you jerk? You're a sensei so start acting like one! I'm here to learn how to protect my friends and judging by your chakra you _hate_ me already! _What the hell have I done to you?!_"

Obito, somewhere in the middle of class, was openly gaping at me. It was a popular expression amongst the class and, reigning my temper in, I realised how stupid I'd just been. I sat back in my chair with a huff, only to jump as Shouta-sensei was in front of me in an instant. My face was sprayed with the leaves of his body flicker.

"My problem with you?" he asked, "My problem is that Hokage-sama demanded you be moved up to this class despite me thinking you're not ready. You think you're brave standing up to me like that? I'm your teacher so I can't kill you but do you think an Iwa shinobi would hesitate? No. Your attitude is sickening and selfish and will get you and your comrades killed on the battlefield. You want me to praise you? Give you a pat on the head with a 'job well done'? Not going to happen until you prove to me why Hokage-sama was so _adamant_ about having you here. _Prove to me his faith in you isn't a waste_."

He disappeared to the front of the classroom, leaving me pale and shaking as his words sunk in. Had the Sandaime moved me up because he had faith in me, like Shouta-sensei said? Or was I just a convenient tool? My chakra sensing ability had only grown once my chakra control started to become more refined, but at the moment that was all I could do.

My taijutsu was good, but not great. My weapon handling skills were mediocre, at best, passable at worst.

I was just an average girl who was becoming an average ninja.

Tia's advice was to not be a hero, and leave that to the future generation and I trusted her. But right now I needed to get strong simply to _survive_.

I mentally scolded myself as my eyes burned with tears. Shouta-sensei was right. I wasn't ready for this yet, but he said the Hokage had _demanded_ I be moved up a class. If I passed the genin test in the next few months, I'd be seven.

Seven and considered an adult.

Sometimes I may act like one, and speak like one but I was still so childish.

My determination roared to life, renewed. I would prove Shouta-sensei wrong. I may not be able to perform a henge, or clone, but I could become an unpredictable kunoichi on the battle field. I just had to research what other methods I could use.

I had fuinjutsu, but my knowledge was still incredibly basic, limited to storage seals, exploding tags and my delay-barrier scrolls. Basically, I was more of a defensive type, rather than an offensive.

My tears dried and I snapped to attention and listened to Shouta-sensei with an invigorated drive. I could do 'defensive.' Barrier ninjutsu, fuinjutsu with taijutsu as a last resort. The more I thought about it, the more I like it. I needed to become stronger, quicker if I was going to be the 'last line of defence' so to speak. I needed to stop acting like a child.

I'd never know he had a small, triumphant smirk on his face.

* * *

The Academy was over for the day and I waved goodbye to Obito and Muta, barely looking back.

"Oi! Where are you going so fast?" Obito yelled out.

I turned back towards him, jogging on the spot with a large grin on my face. "Gotta see a woman about getting stronger! Gotta protect all my friends, Obi! Catch ya tomorrow!"  
I was halfway down the street when I heard his scream of determination, saying he would become stronger with me. Despite knowing what he could become, I found myself smiling.

* * *

I must have looked a right mess, showing up to Kushina's door with my hair loose and gasping for breath. I sprinted all the way there.

"Akani-chan… whaa?" she asked. "We don't have lessons today."  
"I… know," I gasped out before straightening, my features filled with determination. "I want to become strong, so I can protect my friends. I can't do that if I'm always acting like a child so I'm here to ask…" I sunk to my knees and placed my forehead on the ground, ignoring her squeak of embarrassment. "Please teach me more about fuinjutsu, Kushina-sensei!"

She was silent for long moments and I began to sweat with nerves. I think she was enjoying this a bit too much.

Then, she sighed. "_Finally_. Took you long enough, idiot."  
My head whipped up with an audible crack, but I didn't even wince. "Eh?!"

Kushina simply smiled and tugged me off the ground, pulling me into her small apartment. "Every day after the Academy, you'll come here for two hours and I'm going to be drilling you about fuinjutsu. Lessons will be harder, and I'll be testing you with an offensive seal at the end of the week. Sealing is an art. One wrong move-"

"-and anything can go wrong," I finished for her, my grin hurting my cheeks. I bounced a little in excitement. _I can stop being such a dead weight_. "So… when do we start?"

Kushina's smile turned a little bit more evil. "Now."

* * *

My head pounded so much I missed the lock as I tried to open my apartment. Kushina hadn't been joking when she said she'd be drilling me about my knowledge in fuinjutsu. Sometimes she happened to forget I was still a beginner, and I'd get something thrown at my face until I pointed out she hadn't taught that to me yet.

She didn't apologise, though, only saying that I 'should have figured it out' for myself.

Despite teaching me for over a year, she still had no idea what to do with kids, but that would come with time.

I finally managed to unlock my apartment and entered, closing the door behind me. I collapsed onto my bed without removing my day clothes or eating dinner. Probably not a wise idea, but I couldn't care at that point.

I fell asleep with a tired smile.

I'd talked the talk, now I was walking the walk.

And it felt good.

* * *

Shouta-sensei didn't even bat an eye when a pair of ANBU appeared in class, startling a majority of the kids before they asked for me. I shrunk a little in my chair as every eye turned in my direction, but managed to squeak out a 'yes?'

"Hokage-sama wishes to see you," one in a bird mask intoned. He sounded like a robot.

"O-okay. Shouta-sensei…" I asked, peering at my teacher. He simply waved me off. If the Hokage had called for a personal summons, there was nothing he could do about it.

The ANBU gripped my shoulder and I was overcome with a sense of vertigo, only for it to disappear a moment later as my feet touched the ground.

It still made me nauseous.

I placed my hands on my knees and gulped down some air, flaring my chakra and echolocation. The Sandaime was still in his chair, but there was another man leaning casually against the wall off to the side.

I didn't know him, so therefore I was immediately cautious.

Had the Hokage told this man about my 'dreams'? I hoped not. The last thing I needed was word getting out to Danzo, or one of the elders about my knowledge of the future. The Hokage had already given his word that my secret was safe with him, and I believed him. He needed my trust, after all.

I stood upright before giving the Hokage a respectful bow. "Hokage-sama," I greeted pleasantly.

"Please, sit Akani-chan."  
I did so, but not before giving the stranger a last, cursory glance. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but what-"

"What is your knowledge of elemental chakra?"  
I blinked. Out of everything he could of said, I wasn't expecting that. "Uh… elemental chakra is categorised into five groups; earth, fire, water, wind and lightning. It takes a great deal of training to be able to use your affinity, which may be for one of more of them. Nature kekkei-genkai's are made of molding two different natures together to create a new sub-element, like ice, lava and so on."

"Straight out of the text-book, sensei," the stranger rumbled, his deep voice amused.

I tilted my head towards him. "Eh? Sensei? I've never met you in my life."  
The Hokage chuckled as the stranger faulted a little. "Not _you_, brat! The old man!"

I blinked before nodding sagely. "Oh, that would make a lot more sense."

"Akani-chan, this is Jiraiya, one of my pupils. Jiraiya, meet Akani-chan," the Hokage intoned.

My eyes widened as I raised a shaking hand towards the incredibly tall man. "You… you…"

He preened for a moment. "I see even the younger ladies know of the Great Jirai-"

"You… ero-baka," I deadpanned. The Hokage laughed uproariously as Jiraiya sunk to ground in shock.

"Ack! You wound me, brat!"

I sniffed. "I've heard of your 'adventures' when you peep on women in the bath houses."  
Jiraiya laughed sheepishly. "Heh, who told you that? And you shouldn't even know what grown men do! You're like… nine?" he guessed.

I sighed. "Six."  
"Ah," he said. "I knew that."

I rolled my eyes. "Of _course_ you did… ero-baka."

The Hokage snickered before clearing his throat, stopping whatever rant Jiraiya had planned. "Believe it or not, Akani-chan, I called you here for a reason. Your knowledge in elemental chakra is correct which is why I bought you here. To test yours."  
"Eh?" I balked. "Isn't that usually chunin stuff?"

"Hai, but your circumstances are… special," he replied and I immediately understood. He wanted to see if I had the Mokuton. He held up two slips of paper and I could feel the soft chakra imbued in them. Chakra paper for elemental testing. "Take one of these in _one_ hand, and channel chakra into it so we can see what element you have."  
"Hai." I took the paper gingerly in my right hand before licking my lips nervously and channelling a small amount of chakra into it. It crumbled to dust. "Hm… earth."

"Hai," the Hokage said, not sounding at all surprised. He passed me the other sheet. "Channel chakra into your left hand, now."

I did as I was told, only to grimace as the paper became soggy. "Water." I tried to flick the wet paper off my fingers but it wouldn't budge. "_Ew_."

"You have two affinities. Water and Earth. It seemed the… process of combining Senju DNA into yours was successful. Water and Earth are the basis for Mokuton. All you have to do is combine them."  
I paused before nodding. "Okay, so I just have to channel my chakra into my hands, then combine them?"  
"Hai. _Just a little_, though. I rather like my office the way it is."

I nodded, despite my fluttering tummy. I felt like they expected me to perform, and I wasn't sure if I could. I took a deep breath to steady myself and channelled a small amount of chakra into my hands before inching them closer together. The tension in the room seemed to triple, the quadruple, until my whole body was vibrating under the pressure.

I grit my teeth and berated myself – _just _do it_, you big baby!_ – and slammed my hands together.

Nothing.

No trees, no warped wooden floorboards, not even a sprout.

I sagged with relief, while the Hokage seemed slightly disappointed.

"That is… puzzling," the Hokage murmured, which confused me.

"Why would it be puzzling?" I asked. "It's not like any… one…" I trailed off. "Unless you were expecting me to have it because you've seen it before. That's why you weren't surprised when I had one affinity to each hand! My friend is still alive!" I darted to my feet, scowling at the village leader. "You lied to me!"  
"No, I didn't."  
"Yes, you did!" I screeched. "You told me he _died_!"

"No, I said he was _gone_. _You_ interpreted it as such."  
"But I-"

"_Sit down,_" the Hokage commanded. I couldn't help but follow it, biting my lip to stop it from trembling.

I'd gone months' thinking my friend was dead, when he was alive the whole time. True, I mourned, but I didn't even see underneath the underneath. I was a horrible, adequate ninja. Deception, deception, deception. This whole world ran on it, but I was still learning.

I slumped in my chair, bowing my head. "Forgive me for accusing you, Hokage-sama," I mumbled. "I was out of line."  
"It's alright, Akani-chan," he said softly, fatherly, "I'm sure you're happy to know he is well."  
"I am, it's just… I don't know what to feel right now, I guess. I'm happy and angry and sad and scared and a whole bunch of other stuff. I don't really know what to _think_."  
"Well, he's already a chunin," the Hokage stated unhelpfully.

I blinked, astonished. "Eh? He's only a bit older than me, and he's already a _chunin_?! Aw, man!" I whined. "I've got a lot of catching up to do!"

Jiraiya chuckled, startling me. To be honest, I forgot he was there. "Don't be in a rush to grow up, kid."  
I gave him a slightly bitter smile. "I don't have a choice, Jiraiya-sama. War's coming anyways. We'll need as many hands as we can get."  
Jiraiya stiffened, although the Hokage remained relaxed. "Why do you think war is coming?" Jiraiya asked casually.

I sighed. _Where have I heard that before?_ "Everyone's tense, the village budget is being tightened and eight to nine year olds are graduating from the Academy and pushed into squads a lot faster than 'peace time' normally dictates. I can make my own conclusions, Jiraiya-sama. I'm not dumb."  
"No," he mused. "You're not. You look like a kid, and sometimes you act like one, but you're a spritely little thing, aren't you?" He laughed.

I bristled. "I'm _not_ little!" He laughed harder. I crossed my arms and pouted. "Ero-baka."

"Oi!"

I ignored him.

"Jiraiya," the Hokage spoke up, "Top shelf of the book case there should be special beginners elemental chakra scrolls in a messenger tote. Get them for Akani-chan, will you?"  
Jiraiya grumbled but did as he was told, his incredible mass of blue wavering with confusion as he stared at them. "Hey Old Man, you know these are in Braille, right?"  
My lips twitched, as did the Hokage's. "Hai. Please give them to Akani-chan."  
"Alright," he said, slightly reluctant. I took them with a cheery grin that seemed to unnerve the Toad Sage. "You can read that, kid?"  
"Hai. Not like I can read anything else."  
Jiraiya choked. "You're _blind_?"

My grin became brighter. "Don't seem so surprised, Jiraiya-sama."

"B-but… you're looking _right at me_. _Right now_."  
"Akani-chan uses her ability as an extraordinary sensor combined with the chakra echolocation jutsu to perceive the world around her," the Hokage explained.

"Wow," Jiraiya said simply. "Not bad for a brat."

I beamed up at him. "Don't seem so surprised, Jiraiya-sama," I parroted. "I'm going to become strong so I can protect my friends!"

"You mean the village?" Jiraiya said in a measured voice.

I shook my head. "Buildings can be rebuilt, but lives can't. So I'm becoming strong to protect my friends." I turned away from him and bowed towards the Hokage. "Is there anything else you need me for, Hokage-sama?"  
"No, you may go back to class." He signalled an ANBU and suddenly the world was spinning, but not before I managed to bite out a cheeky 'Ero-baka.'

I giggled as I rushed towards class, my elemental scrolls tucked safely in the messenger back slung over my shoulder.

Things were _definitely_ looking up.

* * *

Jiraiya turned towards his old sensei, an amused grin on his lips. "Interesting kid. She'll be one to watch."  
The Sandaime grinned a private, knowing grin. "You have _no_ idea," he said before adding, "Ero-baka."

He laughed as Jiraiya's shoulders slumped in defeat.

* * *

**Told myself I wouldn't do a 'second person' perspective, but I felt the need to put that little bit between Jiraiya and the Hokage. The reason it was ****_just_**** Jiraiya, and not Tsunade there as well was because Jiraiya's a sage, and since Hashirama had the ability to enter sage mode (which I'm going to assume was derived from his ability to create plant life since... you know, ****_nature_**** chakra... duh?) so he would be there to stop anythign dangerous from happening since he would know the signs.**

**At least, that's my reasoning :)**

**Plus I think Jiraiya's really cool. He hasn't bought out Icha Icha yet, but he's still a dirty, flirty old man haha**

**Review if you want to :) I love reading your thoughts on the story!**


	12. First blood and Major Suckage

**Can I just say that I've made it a bad habit to check into my account every hour and get all giddy when the views/reviews/favs/follows go up by even 1 point.**

**While it's debatable that I have no social life... Ah, who am I kidding? I'm a mother, so of course I don't have one. LOL!**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoy another chappy :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

My breath was shallow and I dared myself not to breath, not to move. One step wrong and I would be discovered and… I cleared my mind. I didn't want to think about that. This _couldn't_ go wrong. People were counting on me, and despite the fact that I was _way_ out of my depth, I couldn't back down now.

I sensed the chakra signature move closer to where I was, tense and ready to spring into action.

_Little more,_ I mentally goaded. _Little more, and…_

I flared my chakra and the fuinjutsu trap activated, a box of stunning blue erected around my target who growled in frustration. They'd fallen into my trap.

I rose from behind the bush I was hiding in, casually making my way towards the young man trying to think of a way to escape his temporary prison. I grinned cockily, able to breathe now that it was just me and him.

"I wouldn't touch those walls, if I were you," I said flippantly. "I've heard the result is… _shocking_." I chuckled evilly.

"Let me out," came the bitten reply.

I pretended to think about it. "Hm, _no_. Do you know how long it took me to set this trap up? _An hour!_ And add to that the waiting in the bush with ants biting my ass, I'm not about to let you go so quickly. At least, not until you tell me why you're avoiding me, Kashi-chan."  
"Don't call me that!" he snapped harshly, but I remained impassive and quiet.

He calmed his breathing and when I deemed him rational enough to talk, I spoke. "I thought we were friends, Kakashi," I murmured, knowing he'd hear me.

"We're _not-_"

"And friends look out for each other. They don't avoid their friend for almost two months and pretend to hate them when next they see them."

"_We're not friends!_" he yelled, losing his temper. "You're just some girl Hokage-sama took pity on because he didn't want to deal with you anymore. You're a useless ninja! You can't even throw a kunai straight and yet you're thinking of joining the ranks?" He scoffed. "_Please_, we're comrades at _most_. I never needed friends before, and I don't need them now. I have plenty of comrades who take their jobs seriously."

I scowled. He didn't even know half of what I had been through. The fact that I was burdened with knowledge that could shape the future was heavy stuff, and maybe I was being selfish by playing the whole 'my problems are bigger than yours' but he never even asked, or cared, about what happened with me. I was feeling more than a little bitter at this point. "You think I'm not taking this seriously?"

"No. I don't."  
"That's where you're wrong. I'm becoming stronger everyday so I can protect my friends, _protect you, _you bonehead!"  
"A ninja-"

"Don't you dare," I snapped. "Don't read me the rulebook word for word in that creepy emotionless voice, Kakashi, because despite what you may believe, I _know_ you care about your precious people."  
"I _did_, and I looked up to a man who turned into a shamed traitor."  
I paled. "You… you think Sakumo-sama, _your father_, was a traitor?" I whispered in horror. "Why? He's your idol!"

"He abandoned the mission and as such disobeyed a direct order from the Hokage himself. A ninja who doesn't obey the rules and goes against his superiors orders is nothing but a traitor."

I couldn't do this. I couldn't stand there and listen to him bad mouth his father. I knew that at this time he believed those words to be true, but inside he was dying a little each time he said as such out loud. He'd come to regret these words spoken in anger later on, but I knew I would forgive him, even if he couldn't forgive himself.

I knew it was hurting him because every word hit _me_ like a kunai in the chest. Sakumo saved me, and in turn I tried to save him but I wasn't enough. I admired him as a great ninja, man and father because he did what he thought was right. Maybe once, long ago, Sakumo followed the rules, but he chose to break them. Why? Perhaps he was tired of the pointless deaths, of watching families get torn apart by something like 'just following orders.'

I deactivated the barrier and turned my back on the older boy, heart heavy because he was just so stubborn. But then again, so was I. "I'm sorry you feel that way," I choked. "But no matter what happens, I'll still consider you my friend Kakashi and nothing is going to change that, including you. Come and talk to me when you decide to grow a spine and know that avoiding me isn't going to make your guilt go away."  
"Ak-"

I leapt into the trees and headed back into the village before he could say anything.

"Jerk," I brokenly sobbed.

* * *

I couldn't believe what I was about to do but, truth be told, I'd been avoiding it since day one. We'd never spoken to each other more than a few words in greeting, but that was as far as the conversation got until it fizzled and died.

All in all, I didn't _hate_ her. No, that was impossible but I felt a twinge of _something_ in my stomach whenever I thought of the future and what part she played.

But I needed help, and she was arguably one of the best in the class to be able to do so. I took a deep breath in and released it, feeling the tension leave my shoulders.

Well, it was now or never.

I strode across the Academy yard with purposeful strides, shoulders back and chin up. Not that it made much difference to my height, though, which was kinda frustrating.

I plastered a smile on my face as I approached, sensing her chakra freeze in a mixture of wariness and soft acceptance. "Ohayo, Nohara-san!"

"Ohayo, Akani-chan," Rin greeted with her soft voice. "How are you today?"  
I began to fidget. "Oh, well, you know… pretty good… I guess. Um, I don't really know… how to… uh… what I mean to say is…"  
"Akani-chan, what is it?" Rin asked kindly. Everything about her was so soft and calming. Her dream was to become a medic nin and I could actually see her flitting about the hospital with that same calm attitude. Perhaps in the baby section. She seemed like the motherly type.

"Uh… I was wondering if you would… help me?" I asked timidly, grimacing a little. Akani Uzumaki didn't do _timid_.

She tilted her head cutely – though I was loathe to admit it – and I was hard pressed to dislike her irrationally like I had been doing. "With what?"  
"Chakra control," I mumbled. "I meditate and focus and control and refine, but I still have trouble finetuning it. I was wondering if you could help me and perhaps teach me a few things."

I probably shocked her, judging by her chakra. "O-oh. I'm flattered you want me to help you but… um… why me?"  
I'd been prepared for this. "Well, you're wanting to become a medic nin, right? And they need to have precise control. My control is good, but I want it to be great since I can't progress in learning more fuinjutsu from Kushina-sensei until I do. Plus I thought that if I learnt how to do at _least_ the Mystical Palm Technique, I'd be able to help out my team if they get hurt in the field and since you're the best in class at chakra control, I thought that I'd… ask… you… heh." I was well aware I was rambling, but Rin didn't seem to mind.

She placed her hands on both of my shoulders, her chakra flaring with a sense of warmth, like she was _happy_ but I didn't know why. "I'd be happy to help out a fellow kunoichi, Akani-chan."  
I sighed with relief. _That_ hadn't been as nerve wracking as I thought it would be, I thought sarcastically. "Thank you, Nohara-san."  
She smiled warmly. "Call me Rin."

I couldn't help but reply with a smile of my own.

* * *

"You know," I started casually, "This wasn't _quite_ what I had in mind when you said 'control exercises.'"

Rin simply laughed, and just like everything else, it was warm and carefree. It was getting _really_ hard to feel sour towards her when she was so open and friendly. It wasn't hard to see why Obito loved her. She was so damned accepting.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. At least you're _dry_," I said, scowling pointedly at the water lapping at my knees. "Remind me why I have to catch a stupid fish?"  
"You want to learn the Mystical Palm Technique and you blew up the other fish I caught by pumping too much chakra into it. And this is the way my sensei at the hospital taught me so… tada!"

I grumbled under my breath. "Still doesn't make any-" I froze, my chakra flaring as my senses were whipped into a frenzy. "Rin? We need to leave."  
She frowned at me, obviously confused. "Wha-"

I waded as fast as I could through the water towards the shore, cursing at how far away from the village we were. Apparently the best fish were in the streams towards the mountains behind the village so that's where we both travelled.

I lost patience and hopped onto the surface of the water, making sure to automatically distribute my chakra accordingly and thankful Kushina had me learn tree and water walking during one of her more ruthless 'training' sessions.

As I sensed four unknown chakra signatures coming from a direction away from the village, I began to seriously regret going along with Rin's travel plans. Then again, she didn't realise that war was closer than she thought.

My feet just touched the shore when the four landed on the opposite shore of the stream.

Rin gasped out a shocked 'Iwa.' I grabbed her arm and screamed, "Run!"

She didn't wait another moment and we both took off into the trees. We were at an advantage since this was our turf, our _home_ but we were both still Academy students. I should have known that scouts were infiltrating the village, but to be honest it fully slipped my mind.

I'd grown complacent and hadn't even thought to keep my sensing up at mid-range. I would have sensed them sooner otherwise. The branches behind us creaked as the scouts got closer to us and I knew we'd be dead before either of us reached the village.

That couldn't happen. Rin was already beginning to tire since she didn't have the stamina that I did. My jutsu repertoire wasn't large, limited mainly to my barriers and fuinjutsu…

"That's it!" I hissed. I turned to Rin who was gallantly keeping pace beside me. I was faster than her. "Rin! Do you have any weapons on you?"  
"Just a few kunai! Don't do anything crazy, Akani-chan! We need to get back to the village and get help!"

"We'll be dead before that!" I snapped, "Give me your kunai!" She hesitated. "_Now!_"  
She dutifully handed them over and I dug into my pockets, withdrawing two small scrolls I always kept on me. I prayed this worked.

I shoved the small scrolls into the end rings of the kunai and let them fly on either side of me, the sharpened points landing with a _thunk_ in the wood. I waited.

"What are you doing?" Rin shrieked, but I ignored her.

"Just a little more. Come on, you bastards!" I growled. They got within range and I whispered "Kai!"

The area behind us was lit up with a flare of blue, followed by the alarmed shouts of our followers. I didn't pause in victory as my offensive barrier delayed them for precious few seconds, running through the hand seals Shouta-sensei drilled into us only a few weeks ago.

They were sloppy since I was shaking so much from the adrenalin but I managed to get them out. "Tatsu, Oshi, Tori!" I intoned before pointing my fingers skyways, a flare of chakra shooting from my fingertips.  
The emergency flare. Help should be on its way.

I felt the moment my barrier was destroyed and grit my teeth. I didn't know how far away help was, but I couldn't let Rin get hurt here, or worse, _die_. "Rin."  
She faced me, utterly terrified. I was too, but I swallowed it. I knew what I had to do. "H-hai?"

"Go on ahead. I'll delay them."  
"What?" she asked, aghast. "No! Akani-chan! You could die! I'm not leaving you!"  
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," I boasted with a confidence I didn't feel. "Besides, it's no use both of us dying here."

"But-"

"Just leave, Rin!" I snapped. "Go get help! I can hold them off! Trust me!"  
There must have been something in my voice since she gave a grim nod and sped forwards, now fuelled by determination. I gripped the last kunai I had, mind whirling with ideas of how to delay the scouts. I only had one more delay barrier scroll left, as well as a spare blank. I wasn't fast enough to use ink seals in combat, so I was stuck with what I had. There were four of them, and they obviously wouldn't hesitate to kill me. They were mainly earth users, which left the meagre water jutsu's I hadn't quite mastered from the scrolls the Hokage had given me.

I crossed a clearing and, despite knowing the Iwa nin would be at an advantage, I stopped and turned, kunai in hand. I was scared.

I thought I'd be ready for this, but I wasn't. Shouta-sensei was right when he said I wasn't ready, and now I wouldn't even get a chance to prove him wrong.

_No,_ I scolded myself, _Don't think like that. Just be smart and use that brain people keep telling me I have._

The four ninja flickered into existence on the other side of the clearing, bodies still and vibrating with determination. Whether that was to kill me or to finish their mission, I wasn't too sure. I bit back my fear. I couldn't falter now.

"Who are you and what are you doing in Leaf territory?" I demanded, which was probably incredibly stupid of me.

Oh well… too late to regret it now.

"Baby ninja," one of the Iwa ninja chuckled. It was a grating sound that gave me shivers. "Or at least, a baby trying to play ninja."  
I grit my teeth against the thickening air. They were releasing their intent, trying to make me hesitate and I hated to admit that it was working. It was because of that that I barely dodged the senbon aimed for my jugular.

I twisted away, only to balk when one of them was within my personal space, leg raised.

_F-fast! _I managed to coat my arms in chakra to lessen the blow as he kicked me towards a tree. I felt my bones creak and groan but by now adrenalin was flooding my system. My breathing was shallow, heartbeat erratic but _Kami_, I felt alive.

My mind was wholly detached from the experience as such thoughts as 'take one of them out with me' and 'may as well die with a bang' flitted across my mind. I'd think about my suicidal tendencies later. Right now I had to focus.

I spun in the air and kicked off the tree, spinning the kunai by the ring in my hand. I was still incredibly mediocre at weapon handling, but I could at least deflect stuff. Right?

Well, only one way to find out.

I don't remember most of the fight – not that I could really call it that because that would imply it was equal on both sides – my senses were heightened to the point everything was one big blur of blue and black. What I do remember is the pain. The injuries weren't life threatening but they were plentiful, and that resulted in me panting and on my knees in front of one of the Iwa nin.

He knelt in front of me, a smug smile on his face. "That was a nice flare you sent up before, girl. It's been a while. You sure help is coming? You have potential, I suppose, and it was idiotically noble for you to send your friend away. She looked awfully tired though. Wouldn't take too much to catch up to her," he snickered.

I grit my teeth and tasted blood. "Don't you… don't you touch her! I'll kill you before you-"

I was cut off by a fist to the gut and my breath left in a wheeze. My ribs creaked and I felt a small crack and suddenly I couldn't get enough air. Probably internal bleeding.

I wrapped my arms around my middle, collapsing onto my side. They were playing with me, that much was obvious, but why? Why didn't they kill me? Unless…

My eyes widened. "Y-you're not going to kill me," I whispered brokenly.

"Nah, too easy," the Iwa nin sneered, but they still didn't make a move to attack. Hell, the four of them were still in the clearing. It only took one of them to incapacitate me, but they were all still here. They weren't following through with their threats to go after Rin which meant…

"You want to be caught," I accused, foamy blood bubbling from my mouth. Something was wrong with my lungs. "You were ordered to come on a suicide mission to speed up the declaration of war."  
All four of the Iwa nin seemed amused now, especially the man currently toeing me onto my back. He bought his heel down onto my gut and my mouth opened in a soundless scream. My world was pain, and my skin was burning and itching and suddenly I felt tired. I was ashamed to admit that I wished for death at that moment.

"Clever brat," he murmured. "Orders are orders."  
His heel lifted enough for me to breathe, although my whole body wanted to collapse further into the darkness because of exhaustion. I was young, and this was almost too much for me. "I f-feel sorry for you, then," I wheezed.

It seemed he didn't want my pity, since I was sent skidding across the dirt and grass at great velocity. I cried out as a stick jabbed into my side and warmth spread. Just another injury, just another injury.

I wonder if it would scar?  
Which way was up?

What was going on?  
I was dizzy, and I ached. Wasn't I in danger?  
What was happening?

I flared my chakra and oh, right… the four shinobi standing in trapezoid formation, inching closer to the centre of the clearing, right out in the open. They weren't clones, either. They were the real thing and they were simply… waiting.

Waiting for death.

Before I even realised what was happening, before I even registered the chakra signatures of the Leaf shinobi speeding my way at great speed I had risen to my feet and whipped out my spare scroll, spreading it out onto the dirt in front of me.

My hands sped through hand seals I remembered through fog faster than I thought was possible – why was one of my fingers at such a funny angle? – and my chakra was molded into a point. _Focus._ I clapped my hands and slammed them onto the parchment, the world erupting in a brilliant blue as the massive sealing array enclosed the entire clearing in glowing kanji and script.

I didn't hear the Iwa nin cry out, and I didn't hear the Leaf shinobi land behind me, simply watching in silent awe.

All I could hear was my slowing heartbeat and the pulse of my chakra as it fed the array. I drew my energy back towards me, filtered through the scroll, now fixed with four kanji for 'shinobi' printed in neat script on the stark white paper.

It rolled into itself and latched shut, flying into my hand, recognising me by my chakra signature. I didn't have time to realise what I had just done, or accomplished.

I simply turned around and recognised the quivering mass of chakra that was Rin.

I gave her a tired smile. "Told you… trust me… bastards interrupted… lesson…"  
I collapsed into the ever present black, but I didn't hit the ground.

I was unconscious before I registered I was in a pair of arms.

* * *

Unlike last time, I wasn't in limbo. It was all just… blank.

No voices, no hum, no chakra. Everything was just black but I couldn't bring myself to panic. I felt safe, because here was where it didn't hurt.

Here was comfortable, and quiet and calm.

Here was where I didn't have to think about anything.

But alas, I had to leave. Sooner or later I'd get bored of the blank and crave the attention of my sensei's and my friends. I'd crave wanting to act like a kid with an adult's mind, using my intellect to shock and confuse others who were supposed to be older than me, therefore 'wiser.'

I missed the fresh air and sense of freedom that came with the outside. And the outside wasn't where this blank space was. It was filled with smells and noises and texture and _fun_. I couldn't have fun here.

I was reluctant to leave, but I did and I was slightly shocked my body still felt like it was floating. I felt great, even though I knew I wasn't. The bandages were itchy, but I couldn't scratch. Hell, I couldn't even feel my hands.

Wait, I frowned. One of them was warm, like someone was holding it.

I wanted to flare my chakra, but I was too tired and I couldn't be bothered. I inhaled deeply and caught a whiff of jasmine and oak – Kushina.

I stirred. "Ku-" my voice was hoarse and scratchy, making me cough. The moment my muscles contracted, the pain was there. Tears streaked my cheeks, but something warm was gently petting my hair and whispering that it was okay, and that I was fine.

My coughing died down and the ringing in my ears stopped and I could hear Kushina ask if I wanted some water. I gave a short nod, slightly disappointed when I felt her warmth leave.

It was like having my mother at my side again, and it hurt to think too much about it.

A glass of water was pressed to my lips and I chugged it down greedily, the relief instant. I leant back with a sigh. "Kushina-sensei?" My voice was still hoarse, but at least I could make out words.

"Hai. How are you feeling?"

I gave a gimlet stare in her general direction, noting that my glasses were gone. I kinda felt naked without them. "Like I got used as a punching bag. How long was I out?"  
"Glad to see you still have a sense of humour," she deadpanned. "You were out for two weeks."  
My eyes widened. "Eh? What… how… huh?"

Kushina sighed, sounding bone tired and weary. "I can't tell you much but I _do_ know the Hokage wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke up. You had a punctured lung, so that's probably why you were unconscious for so long. Oh, and some kid has been coming around asking for you. Didn't know your boyfriend was an Uchiha," she teased.

I rolled my eyes and cursed my cheeks for tinging pink. "He's _not_ my boyfriend. I'm six, thank you very much."  
"Mhmm, sure," she sing-songed.

"Minato-kun," I mimicked her dreamy voice, chuckling madly when I could feel the heat from her face through my bandages.

"Brat," she growled.

"Oh hush, you love me," I said flippantly. "So, Obito's been trying to knock down the door, huh?"  
"Yeah," Kushina sighed, slouching back in her chair. "Got real mad when the medic's told him he couldn't see you, too. That girl you were with tried to come around, but got the same treatment."  
I nodded, remaining silent. That was two out of three. I wondered if Kakashi had come around, or if he even cared. The bitterness of disappointment was like acid on my tongue.

"He hasn't," Kushina whispered. I cocked a brow in question. "Kakashi-kun, he hasn't…" she elaborated, seemingly reading my mind.

My shoulder's sagged a little and tears welled. I couldn't help it, but I refused to let them fall. In his eyes right now, I was nothing but a child playing ninja. Maybe I was, but I was trying to find my niche. I'd already sorted out what _type_ of ninja I was – defensive – and I just had to get better. Quickly. I felt like I was stagnating a little. I wasn't really productive on the physical front. I needed guidance in my taijutsu and weapon handling, but kunai still felt too clunky in my small hands. I needed something that I could use in any situation, preferably close range since I would be a close-to-mid range fighter due to my blindness.

The only person I knew that could help me with my taijutsu would be…

I paled.

Then I groaned, ignoring Kushina's minor freak-out, asking me if I was okay.

No. I wasn't.

Well, better find my youthfulness sometime soon, I suppose.

* * *

"You look well."  
"I look like crap," I hissed. "And these bandages are _itchy_! I'm not allowed to scratch either because anytime I even _think_ of scratching an itch, Miki-san is suddenly _right next to me_ and yelling my ear off!"

The Sandaime simply chuckled as he sank into the chair next to my bed, a silencing seal flaring to life. I automatically tensed, the sense of déjà vu almost overwhelming. "I'm sure you know why I'm here, Akani-chan."  
"Hai," I mumbled. "Kushina-sensei has already given me a mouthful over almost getting myself killed. But Hokage-sama, the Iwa nin… they weren't _trying_ to kill me. They were _ordered_ to die. They _wanted_ to die. It was all a ruse just to get the Leaf to react and I guess I'm just really lucky that I ran into _that_ particular group instead of an actual platoon ordered to infiltrate and destroy."  
The Hokage hummed. "I guessed as much. You being alive is proof enough of that."  
I twiddled my thumbs, nervous. "So… what happened to the Iwa nin?"

The Hokage was silent for a while. "You don't remember?"  
I shook my head, frowning a little in concentration. "I remember figuring out what their orders were, and then they were simply waiting in the middle of the clearing but after that it's just… blank. Like a big blob in the middle of my memory-brain."  
"You don't remember sealing four chunin level Iwa nin into a scroll and then collapsing from chakra exhaustion?" the Sandaime asked in a carefully blank voice.

I blinked once, then twice before bursting out laughing, ignoring the pain in my side. "Ha! That's a good one, Hokage-sama. I'm not _that_ good at fuinjutsu just yet. Only a few basic storage seals and whatever. Nothing too big but Kushina-sensei said-"

"I assure you that is the report I got," the Sandaime interrupted. "Kushina examined the scroll and the sealing array, pieced together with the reports of a few of my ANBU who arrived at the scene in time to watch and she said you performed an Uzumaki clan technique. Rare and difficult to perform, almost completely unknown now to a majority of sealing experts."  
With each word my jaw became more unhinged. "Eh? I'm sorry, but I thought you just said I performed an almost extinct form of fuinjutsu when I was half unconscious and with a punctured lung?" I hoped he was wrong. Maybe it was knowledge left over from Tia's imprint? People couldn't unsee stuff like that, and people would talk. Whatever I did had gained the attention of a few people, and I knew it was only a matter of time before word got out to one of the elders or… I suppressed a shudder. _Danzo_.

"I said as much," the Sandaime said airily. "It seems you have great potential in the field of offensive fuinjutsu, just as Uzumaki-san predicted. Your training is now going to be overseen by Kushina and my pupil, Jiraiya when he is still in the village. Your elemental and taijutsu training is also going to be top priority. As a distant member of a nearly deceased clan, you are a valuable asset and great leverage."  
"Because of Kushina-sensei," I stated. Not a question. The Hokage had already guessed I knew more about her than I should so there was no point hiding it. Ninja made a profession out of being cautious, and the Hokage was doubly so.

"You are young and impressionable, Akani-chan," the Hokage continued, ignoring my statement. He didn't need to answer it since I already knew. Uzumaki look out for other Uzumaki, and I was leverage against the village's jinchuriki, especially since we'd grown close because she was my fuinjutsu sensei. I had a feeling that wasn't what he was talking about though. "You said you wanted to protect your friends, and becoming strong is the way to do it. Your situation is… unique in that you have the affinities for Mokuton, but not the ability to mold the wood element. Your sensing abilities are extraordinary and your determination to overcome an obstacle in your way is inspiring, not to mention the dreams you have that have so far proven true. You need to be kept safe, and to do that you need strength."  
"For protection from dangers both foreign and domestic, right?" I murmured.

He tensed, but didn't question how I addressed one of his largest worries. "Yes. From both," he whispered. "I expect you to graduate from the Academy the next round of genin exams that take place within six months time. Just after your birthday, I believe."  
I pursed my lips but nodded. The Hokage was worried for me, and it was oddly nice to have him worrying, even if it was purely selfish on his part. I was an asset, pure and simple. The order was clear; Pass the test, otherwise my protection would be weakened enough to let the vultures in.

It meant that I'd gained some unwanted attention.

And that was _never_ a good thing.

_Lady Luck… I hate you._

* * *

**Tada! Another chappy done. Not sure about the timezones, but here in Australia this makes 2 (count them... TWO! HA!) in one day.**

**I'm awesome.**

**And humble too haha!**

**Review if you want to :)**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I like to draw, even though I suck at it.**

**I like to sing, even though I'm average.**

**... I'm actually a pretty boring person, now that I think about it.**

**Kinda made me depressed... *sigh***


	13. Youthful meeting and hospital greetings

I'm sorry if I don't answer someones review, but I thought I'd address some of the larger questions regarding the direction of the story and whatnot. Even if I didn't reply to your review, I reckon you should still read my answers, since they could answers yours! :)

Feel free to ask me anything else regarding the story, too, via review :) I love getting feedback as it feeds the plot bunnies.

OM NOM NOM. INTERNET COOKIES.

Keep in mind this story is still in progress, so I'm not gonna give _too_ much away :)

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**kenegi:** Who said Orochimaru got caught? :)

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**Guest:** Wow, you're EVERYWHERE. Haha, I kid, I kid. Anyways, I got 'Akani' from looking up 'red' on RomajiDesu dot com and BAM! Akani. I like that spelling better than 'Akane' anyways :) Seems more... I dunno? Feminine? Girly? Not as blokey? :)

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**minixx: **I'm glad you like my humour, and I'm sorry if I made you cry! However, some sicko part of me is laughing gleefully because that means my ability to write emotional scenes had paid off! MWAHAHAHA!

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**hello-totoro-ninja: **Cool name! And... is Akani gonna be trained by Danzo?

Hmm...

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**a Wiccan: **Yup! I'm an Aussie! I don't think there are that many Australian's on here... kinda sad really, but that's okay! It's _uber_ awesome to know my story is being read all around the world! Makes me feel like an international best seller haha but I don't get paid for it *aw*

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**x stickers: **I'm glad you like Tia! She was pretty awesome, and as you can see, since Akani and Tia share the same soul the former is picking up traits from the latter the older she gets. Given, Akani is more serious and a bit more manipulative (and won't have a caffeine addiction) but personally, I think both chicks are pretty funky-doo!

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**MrClosedEyes: **I'm sorry if the prologue put you off! I normally don't do prologues because, quite frankly, I effing hate them but... alas, I'm a hypocrite :/ I also wanted to 'officially' start the story at chappy one with Akani's life and not Tia's since she's the main character so... yeah :) Glad you're liking it so far!

* * *

**DragonSlayer2187: **Why doesn't Akani have the mokuton? Well, stay tuned! :) Aaaaaaaaaand, the bird ANBU wasn't Tenzo. No, Tenzo won't make another appearance until he _is_ in ANBU, but that's in the future :) Think about it, though. Kid with the ability to create wood, like the legendary Shodaime Hokage? Yeah, peeps would totes steals him away so he needed to be kept hidden. Akani is just smart enough (not to mention she also _knew_ him from the cell) to figure out that he was still alive and since she never knew his name, she didn't know who to look for.

Anonymity is a pain, but a necessary one in this case :)

* * *

**TheSunsetAce: **Please don't flail happily too much. Trust me, it _hurts_ in the long run! :P But, you can twitch happily instead?

Is that even possible? ... Let me know! Haha!

* * *

**WindWhistle21: **I tried to make the 'clues' about who she is subtle or in passing so people could come to their own conclusions :) If you notice, Akani never says her last name out loud, and neither does anyone else. Anytime her last name is mentioned, it's only be either association or in her personal thoughts/reflections. Kind of like how the Uzumaki clan is always mentioned as '_that clan'_ in the anime and manga :) Neither confirmed nor denied out loud, but it's obvious.

Plus, she has _really dark _red hair it's almost black, which most people will mistake it for until she's in the sun. At least, that's what I'm planning on doing about it :)

* * *

**Shannyrox101: **KAKANI! KAKANI! MY OC AND A MAIN CHARACTER HAVE A FREAKING COUPLE NAME AND IT'S AWESOME! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I CAN'T EVEN... ! GAH! YOU'VE MADE MY LIFE AND WON THE INTERNET, MY FRIEND!

_**WON. THE. INTERNET!**_

* * *

**Xhre: **Kakashi - in my mind - was a stubborn ass as a kid because he was considered a genius and since he tried to step out of his father's shadow, he felt pressure to have to perform to everyone's incredibly high standards. When he met them, and saw his father's proud smile, he became a cocky little shit and thought everyone else was too far behind.

Itachi was the opposite in personal views as a kid. He was a bloody pacifist, so...

In my opinion, being exposed to things that ninja do can do either one of two things: you can become bitter, or you think yourself better.

Kakashi thought himself better, until his precious people's deaths, and Itachi became bitter. Not as a person, but became bitter about the whole senselessness of it all.

Kakashi was a textbook shinobi and I reckon even Danzo had an eye on him but couldn't do much since he was in such a highlighted position, what with his dad being as strong and well known. Power by association, I suppose.

Which is going to be happening a lot once the story progresses :)

* * *

**THIS IS NOW A CHAPTER! Given, it's kinda just a 'tide-over' but I'm working on the longest chappy yet, so hope you like!**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

"No, no, no! Do it like I showed you!"  
"I'm _trying_! It's not my fault you're a crap teacher!"  
"_I'm_ not a crap teacher, _you're_ a crap student!"

I huffed, crossing my arms as I turned my head away from Obito. "I want to do something else."  
Obito growled. "No! You were close! If you just-"

My hand flung out and I knocked down the house of cards we'd been building for over an hour. At least, _attempting_ to build. I was blind, unable to use my chakra until my lung healed and Obito was too hyperactive to keep any card steady.

Basically, we both sucked.

He squeaked indignantly. "Aw, now I have to pick them up!" He grumbled under his breath as he did so. "So, you're obviously feeling better today," he pointed out, annoyance forgotten.

"Yeah, but my head still hurts from where Rin bopped me for being an idiot and forcing her to leave me behind."  
"Yeah, Rin's the best," Obito sighed dreamily.

I rolled my eyes and snapped my fingers in front of his face, startling him. "Seriously, Obi, just ask her on a date if you like her so much."  
"I don't like her _that_ much," he grumbled petulantly.

"She has nice hair," I pointed out.

"So _pretty_," he sighed, head in the clouds.

"And a nice laugh."  
"Hai, the _best_."

"And you totally like her," I said, my lips twitching.

"_Yeah_, I- Hey!" I laughed. "You're so mean, Akani-chan."  
"Yeah, but I make your life more interesting," I pointed out with a smile.

Obito scoffed. "Yeah right. More complicated, you mean."  
I wrinkled my nose. "Meanie."  
"You didn't deny it," he sang.

"Of course I didn't."  
"You don't have to sound so proud about it."  
"Why not?" I asked. "At least I'm not some tense, arrogant asshole who'd rather isolate himself than talk to his friend."  
"Um… Akani-chan?"

"And besides," I continued, not having heard him. "It's not like he had many friends to begin with. He doesn't _need_ them, apparently. Well, guess what! I call bullshit! He's a kid, just like you and me, Obi! But-"

"Akani-chan."  
"-he thinks that just because he's a freaking _chunin_ he can look down on me, despite the fact that so many others had given up on being his friend, even when I haven't! Looks like the only way to get that through his thick head is to physically beat it into him and-"

"Akani-chan!"  
"What?" I growled at Obito, not even realising I'd been raising my voice.

All he did was laugh nervously, making me confused until someone cleared their throat near the door. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes.

Shit.

"If you're quite done with your emotional recollection of my apparent faults, I'd like to say that Hokage-sama sent me with a package he said you'd be most interested in," Kakashi said tonelessly in that scathing, 'holier-than-thou' voice.

My eyebrow twitched. "_Thank you_, jerkface."  
"Akani-chan!" Rin scolded, making me jump. When the hell had she gotten here? "Manners!"

My twitch turned into an almost full-body jerk, but I complied. Rin was scary when she was mad and my head still hurt from where she punched it. "Thank you, Kakashi-san," I bit out, whispering 'jerkface' beneath my breath. Obito choked out a snicker.

"Sorry about Akani-chan," Rin said to Kakashi, "She has a problem with authority."  
"Oi!" I cried. "Don't go apologising to jerkface! He's the one who should apologise!"  
"Weren't you just calling him 'jerkface'?" Rin asked.

"Well, yeah but-"

"And that's quite rude, isn't it Akani chan?" Her voice was turning sickly sweet, just like Kushina's did when she was about to cause me physical harm.

I sighed, frustrated. "_Technically, _yes but Rin! He-"

"Has done nothing but come here to deliver a package from Hokage-sama," she interrupted. I was about to scream at her, saying that Kakashi was the jerk and not me because _I_ wasn't avoiding him like he was with me, when I realised that Rin mustn't have known I was friends with Kakashi.

I didn't want to go into the story of how I was rescued from the clutches of a sick snake-weirdo and ended up living with Kakashi and Sakumo, which was how I knew them, so I shut my mouth with an audible click.

Knowing Obito's inquisitive nature, he'd never stop asking until he found out everything, and I'd rather not say anything since most of it wasn't my story to tell. He'd find out eventually, I'm sure.

I could almost feel Kakashi's smugness from my position in the hospital bed. Like he could talk. He would just have to wait until this girl was put into his team she'd put him in his place. I was sure she would, too, despite her feelings for him. It took a strong woman to mediate between two big personalities like Obito Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake.

I flared my chakra, wincing in pain as it coursed through my sore body and I saw Kakashi meandering out through the door. I slid out of the sheets and ignored Rin and Obito's calls to stay in bed and made my way out into the hall, hand skimming the wall so I went straight.

I'd only taken a few steps when a hand – a familiar one – grabbed me by my shoulder and jerked me around. I could tell by the smell that it was Kakashi.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he growled.

"Looking for you, you ass," I hissed. "You ready to talk to me yet?"  
"Are you ready to act like a shinobi?" he countered.

My expression soured. "If that means acting like you, then no I suppose I'll never be ready, but you know what? I'm becoming a shinobi _my _way, and if you don't like it, then don't say anything. Because when you do, I'm going to punch you square in the face."  
"As if you could hit me, little girl."  
I snarled. He seemed to have forgotten who floored him just a few months ago. "Just you watch, Kashi-chan. I'll catch up to you in no time, and when I do, we'll have that fight you promised me."  
"I'd be dying of old age by then," he mused.

"And alone," I murmured. "Don't forget you'd be dying old and alone."  
Kakashi was quiet and when his hand left my shoulder – I didn't even realise he was still touching me – he simply turned and walked away.

I stood still for a long while, frowning and lost in thought and rubbing my shoulder until Rin ventured over towards me, touching my forearm.

"Akani-chan… are you alright?"  
"Yeah… yeah I'm good."  
"… Who was that boy?"  
I violently suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. It seemed that I was the inadvertent catalyst for Rin's crush on Kakashi.

Yay.

"Kakashi Hatake," I answered her. She'd eventually find out anyways. They'd be on the same team next year. "He's a chunin."

"Hatake," she murmured. "He must be a very good ninja to be a chunin at such a young age."  
I grunted and skimmed the wall back towards my room where Obito was leaning out of the door to catch a glimpse of what was happening.

"You okay, Red?"

I pursed my lips. Was I okay? Despite the healing lung, I was alright physically, but that confrontation with Kakashi made me feel like crap again. Obito was so light hearted and Rin was so warm, it was almost a shock to run into Kakashi's frigidity. He was obviously still hurt, but I'm sure he was sick of people asking if he was okay, or holding him in Sakumo's shadow. I'd like to think that I wasn't treating him different, or at least treating him as he deserved to be, and currently he was being a dick.

But… was I okay? The tightness in my chest would suggest 'no' but…

I suppose I could lie.  
"Yeah, Obi. I'm good."

* * *

The next few months were – for lack of a better term – _intense_. I could understand why Kushina pushed me to perfect the areas I was good at. She had been worried for me.

Not that she'd admit that, but it felt… nice to have someone looking out for you.

The Academy was much the same as always. Shouta-sensei was still a hard-ass, but there was something else underneath his teachings towards me in particular.

A grudging acceptance, maybe?

Most of my classmates were told I was hurt in a training accident, but the older generation knew better. The blatant incursion on Fire and Leaf territory, as well as attacking an Academy student, had the Sandaime seeing red, especially since I was such an asset. I wondered if the man would have been as angry if it was another kid that was hurt, or possibly killed.

I'd like to think he would be just as angry.

A few catch up lessons with Rin – inside the village, of course – had my chakra control perfected, but since it was so intense and potent I couldn't use healing jutsu. We went through at least a dozen fish until we figured _that_ out.

I was pissed.

No, scratch that. I was _majorly_ pissed.

Because even though my control was now perfected, I was still the same, average ninja with average taijutsu and average jutsu knowledge. Only now with control.

Which was why I found myself at a random training ground punching the crap out of a training log the way Shouta-sense taught me. My knuckled had split ages ago, but I healed quicker than some. Not as fast as Kushina, but fast.

The tears would be healed by tomorrow.

"Stupid averageness," I grumbled, punching the log. "Stupid deadweight." Another punch. "What the hell am I even good for?!"

Frustrated, I unconsciously sent chakra through my hands and punched the log, rendering it to splinters. I wasn't expecting that, so I was sent careening forward to tumble into a heap with twigs and splinters in my hair. I grumbled and swore under my breath as I pushed myself back up and sat in the middle of the destruction.

I was so lost in thought I didn't even notice another person entering the training grounds.

"Woah!" the boy exclaimed, making me jump and flare my chakra on reflex. "Did you do all of this?"  
"Um. Will I get in trouble if I say 'yes'?" I asked sheepishly.

The boy laughed exuberantly. "No! Of course not! Your strength is only rivalled by your beauty, lovely lady!"  
I blinked. Lovely… lady?

I paled.

Oh Kami, don't tell me…

The boy was suddenly in front of me, making me reel back in shock as he grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously. "The name is Might Guy! Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast! And who might you be?"  
"A-Akani," I managed to squeak out before pulling my hand out of his. "You're quite…" I grimaced. "_Youthful_."  
"Youthful?" the boy asked before rubbing his chin in deep thought. "Youthful. I like that. The ever Youthful Might Guy! The Power of Youth!"

My mouth hung open in shock. Guy didn't know about 'the power of youth' and such yet? _Good Kami, what have I done?_

"So, Akani-san! What are you doing sitting in the middle of the training ground?" Guy asked, startling me once more with the abrupt change in topic and tone.

I rolled my eyes, hidden behind the glasses Kushina gave me. "Training, obviously. Not that I'm getting anywhere." I mumbled the last bit, but Guy heard me.

"Oh! What Youth! Training at such a late hour! This shows your dedication to the shinobi arts! I, myself, am an up and coming master of taijutsu!"  
I perked up before wilting a little. Did I really need help? I unconsciously rubbed my ribs, where a small scar was still puckered and pink. I hadn't been able to do anything against those Iwa nin, and it was obvious to me that the Academy style was generic and rigid in its form. I needed something more fitting to my flexibility.

"Say… Guy-san?"

"Yes, my beautiful, youthful training companion?"

He was intense, even at this age. I growled and cracked my knuckles. "Call me Akani. Not 'beautiful' or 'youthful.' Just Akani, or you will end up like the training log. Got it?"

He wasn't the only one who was intense. "Y-yes ma'am," he squeaked.

I gave him a disarming smile. "Good!" I chirped. "Now, you said you're a taijutsu master?"  
"Hai! I am well versed and have studied many forms of taijutsu! A true shinobi relies on their own Power of Youth to defeat his enemies!"

I blinked. "Yeah, right, okay. Listen, I was wondering if you could help me find a style that fits me since the Academy style doesn't quite work for me."  
"You're… still an Academy student?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "But, you move as if you have been taught already."  
I nodded. "I've been taught by… friends since I was little, but I still suck at taijutsu and it's all I've really got to fall back on since I can't do genjutsu or basic ninjutsu like clones or henge."  
"Really?" He sounded shocked.

I nodded before pointing to my eyes. "I'm more of a sensor, but my blindness hinders me. And I'd appreciate if that particular tid-bit doesn't leak out, you know?"  
Guy was silent, his chakra still. I couldn't tell whether he was in shock or not. I got my answer when I was wrapped in a pair of thin yet strong arms and tears soaking my shoulder. "Oh, what a humble, inspiring story, Akani-chan! You have overcome such obstacles to become a kunoichi! Well, have no fear for Might Guy is here!" I was unceremoniously dumped to the ground, left gaping up at Guy as he took on a super-hero pose, complete with looking out to the distance. "I promise to teach you in the art of taijutsu and find you a style that suits you perfectly! If I cannot do that, then I will run around Konoha on my hands five hundred times!"

"O-Okay," I stuttered.  
What the hell was I supposed to say to that?

But he'd agreed to help me, which was all I needed to know. I smiled warmly up at him, unable to see the light flush to his cheeks. "Thank you, Guy-san. I appreciate this."

"No problem, Akani-chan! Now, what sort of training do you have in mind?"  
"Well, whatever you recommend, I suppose," I said, before shuddering violently.

Why did I feel like I just sealed my doom?

* * *

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I may 'write' like a teenager, but I'm not. I'm between the ages of 20 and 25. Do with that information, what ye will :)**

**Working in hospitality/retail had ****_totally_**** ruined Christmas for me. People who are in the same industry know what I'm sayin'!**

**The name 'Wendy' never existed until Peter Pan came out!**

**Same with the word 'hello.' It wasn't around until the telephone was invented.**

**And people said you'd never learn anything by reading fanfiction. Ha!**


	14. Burnt cake, getting lost & goggled bakas

**This chappy is dedicated to CeresMaria (see! I promised!) because thou art an avid Might Guy fan and therefore...**

**BEHOLD!**

**MORE MIGHT GUY!**

**PS: Kurotiger: Pairings... Hmm... Maybe :P Just wait and see :D**

**PPS: Kenegi: Oh... hehe... my bad. And Akani ****_kind of_**** pulled a Tsunade, but read and find out :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

"Akani-chan!"

My eyes shot open and I squealed, flailing a little as my bed sheets wrapped around my body like a cocoon. I wriggled so much I fell off the bed and landed hard on my hip. I hissed in pain before sending out my echolocation and flaring my senses, growling up at the beaming face that was quickly becoming the bane of my existence.

"What the hell do you want, Guy?"

If possible, his smile became wider. "It is time for training!"

I answered with an intelligent, "Huh?"  
"Training, Akani-chan! Today is the day for something new, and that is always a good thing! We must celebrate the dawn of this new day with youthful vigour and manliness!"  
I opened my mouth to tell him off – since I was most definitely _not _a dude – when something occurred to me. "Guy?"  
"Yes, Akani-chan?"  
"… How do you know where I live?"  
"I followed you, of course!"  
"Of _course_ you did," I grumbled, twisting myself free from my bed sheets. "Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate to randomly break into a _girl's_ apartment?"  
I didn't have to see his face to know he was blushing. "Um… Perhaps I did not think this through! I shall do one hundred push-ups as penance for my unyouthfulness!"

I sighed, used to his antics by now. 'Youth' was quickly becoming his favourite word and I wanted to stab something – preferably Guy – whenever he thanked me for 'putting his dreams into verbal form.'

"Whatever. Let me get dressed and I'll come and train with you."  
"Hai, Akani-chan!" He jogged out of my room – which was more like an extension from the living/dining/entrance but separated with a bamboo screen – and began his push-ups.

I rolled my eyes. "Get _out_ Guy."  
He paused between push-ups twenty-two and twenty-three. "Oh! Of course! Forgive me, my ever youthful training companion! I shall leave you to your privacy!"  
I growled a little as he left. Being called 'youthful' just reminded me of how young I was. Given, I'd be seven soon but still a baby to _some_. Namely one chunin jerkface.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. No use getting so worked up before the day even started. I stifled a yawn as I dressed for training in simple shorts and shirt. There was no use having a shower just yet, or eating for that matter since today was the day Guy was upping my training to a more intense regime.

We'd already ruled out quite a few taijutsu styles, and he said he might have had an idea of one that would suit me. My days were full, what with training in the morning with Guy, then the Academy and then lessons with Kushina – sometimes featuring Jiraiya, though rarely – in the afternoon. My body was getting used to the schedule, though, so I suppose that was a plus.

I slept the whole night too.

Another plus.

I slipped my sandals onto my feet and exited my apartment, taking care to lock up after myself. Not that it did much good in a village full of ninja, but it was the thought that counts. I paused as the cool air brushed my skin. I turned woodenly towards Guy who had just finished his obligatory push-ups. The smile on my face might have been a tad predatory.

"Guy… what time is it?"  
He gave me a broad grin and thumbs up; his trademark 'nice guy' pose. "It is a mere hour before dawn, Akani-chan! Why do you ask?"  
My eyebrow twitched.

Was he _insane?!_

No, scratch that.

Of course he was.

And now he was my pseudo-sensei.

Goody.

No matter what life I had, I still wasn't a morning person.

"Guy… I'm going to murder you."

He let out an unmanly 'Eep!' before I tried to claw his face off for waking me at such an ungodly hour.

I'd have a caffeine addiction like Tia in no time if this kept up.

* * *

I rotated my sore shoulder, glowering towards Guy. "Again."  
"You must not push yourself, Akani-chan," he chided, serious for once.

"I know my limits, Guy. Again."

Without another word I sprinted towards him. Before we could crash I deftly twisted and bent to avoid a flying kick from the taijutsu prodigy. I hadn't been able to land a hit just yet but I was getting close. This style – Crane Style – was more graceful than the Academy stance, and suited to my flexibility but some part of it didn't feel quite right.

As evidenced when I was knocked roughly on my ass once more. I groaned as I sat up, my body creaking in a way that couldn't be natural. "Damnit!" I moaned. "I almost had you!"  
No.

I didn't.

Guy was better, faster, stronger… he was just more awesome than me at taijutsu. Which sucked for me since taijutsu was my failsafe if enemies got too close so I didn't have the option of going for something else. As a sensor – and a damn good one – I would be kept behind varying platoons of skilled combat shinobi and relay information on the enemy's whereabouts to the tactical squad. But if an enemy broke through the ranks, I'd be a hindrance. I didn't want others protecting me.

I was trying to be strong so I could protect myself and others.

I clenched my fists and stood on my own, ignoring the hand Guy offered to me. "Again!" I barked.

"Akani-chan, perhaps we should-"

I whirled on him, scowling. "No! I have to get this, Guy! I refuse to be deadweight! I need to get stronger!"  
"And you will, but these things take time, Akani-chan."  
He wasn't getting it. He didn't understand. "Please, Guy," I pleaded. "I _have_ to become strong. I have people to…" _Protect. Cherish. Manipulate…_ "I just have to do this. I won't let them down."  
"Them?"  
_Mother. Father. Tia. Sakumo. Kakashi. Obito. Kushina. Minato… Naruto… _I shook my head. "I have to protect my precious people, Guy. I have to be strong."  
He was silent for a long time, and I was sure he would simply turn and walk away from me, just like Kakashi had done. Just like my cellmate and first friend had done. I hadn't heard anything from him since being in the village either. I would fight to hold onto the people that were alive and with me, and fight to make my parents proud.

I couldn't let anyone down.

It wasn't just my life at stake, here.

"We'll try something different," Guy stated with a determination that made my chest warm. "Various aspects of certain styles seem to come naturally to you, like the flexibility of Snake, or the slashing motions of Tiger Claw and the sweeping speed of Crane. We'll make an entirely new style based of components of each but mix that in with your chakra enhanced strength."  
That last bit confused me. "Chakra… enhanced… strength?"  
"Hai. You don't think the training log dissolved into splinters because it felt like it, did you?" he teased.

I shrugged helplessly. "I… didn't even realise I was doing it."  
"Tsunade Senju-hime has a unique taijutsu style based off her monstrous strength," Guy pointed out. "Unfortunately I do not know much about it as I have yet to witness it personally."

A light-bulb went off and I face palmed. Why didn't I even think to ask Jiraiya about that when he was still in the village? He was her freaking teammate, after all. He was due back sometime soon, but because of the war he had to check his spy network a lot more often. My elemental training was supposed to be starting soon under his tutelage, but alas, Jiraiya was a lazy ass and left me to read up on the basics most of the time, as evidence by the scrolls he palmed off to the Hokage who in turn gave them to Kakashi who gave them to me in the hospital. He was more of a 'sit back and let the student figure it out' sensei, whereas Kushina was a 'learn through physical pain and hands on experience' type of sensei. Nothing like each other, but they taught me well enough.

My brain hurt just thinking about all the lessons I had gotten, and was going to get in the near future.

I shook my head clear before fixing Guy with a stony, determined expression, my body shifting into a beginning stance. "Again?"  
His grin was bright as he ducked into his Strong Fist stance. "Again."

* * *

I fell asleep at my school desk.

Muta didn't even bother waking me up.

I think he's cranky with me because I haven't been hanging out with him as often.

Shouta-sensei wasn't amused.

He chucked the black board eraser at my head and I fell into a heap on the floor.

I didn't wake up.

But I had another bruise to add to the collection.

* * *

The nap I had in the Academy seemed to perk me up since I was practically skipping all the way to Kushina's house. I wasn't flaring my chakra, so I didn't even think she would have company over. I flung open the door.

"Honey! I'm _home_," I yelled, only to freeze, wide eyed as Kushina shrieked in alarm. I flared my senses and wished I hadn't. "Argh! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen!"

"Cover your eyes, Akani-chan!" Kushina yelled, pushing Minato off of her and fixing her skewed clothes.

I did as I was asked, but then frowned, dropping my hands. Kushina was horrified.

"Akani-chan!"

"I'm blind, you idiot!" I yelled.

Kushina tugged her shirt back into place, pausing for a moment. "Oh, yeah."  
I huffed, crossing my arms. "Acting like wanton teenagers in the presence of a child. _Barf_. Have you no shame?"  
Kushina growled, forgetting about Minato to begin an argument with me. The awkward atmosphere broke for us two Uzumaki. Not so much the fidgeting, blushing blonde attempting to make himself melt into the furniture.

"You should have knocked, you brat!"

I waved my arms around comically. "How was I supposed to know you were sucking face on the couch with your boy-toy, huh?"  
"You should have sensed him!" She was too embarrassed to care about my language at the moment.  
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda… but I didn't. Gomen, blondie," I tossed towards Minato, who froze in his foiled attempt to escape through the kitchen window.

Kushina growled and stomped towards her boyfriend, tugging him back inside by his ear. Whether she ignored his protests, or simply didn't hear them I would never know.

"Akani-chan, meet Minato-kun. Minato-kun, meet Akani-chan."  
I gave Minato a bright grin, almost letting my hero-worship show. "Hi!"  
"Nice to meet you, Akani-chan," he said warmly and my cheeks started to hurt from how much I was smiling.

"Ano, can I touch your face?"  
Minato blinked. "Eh?"  
Kushina sighed. "She's blind and even though she should know what you look like with her echolocation she still paints clearer pictures through her tactile senses."

Minato blinked again. "O-oh, okay then." He approached me slowly, as if not to startle me and knelt down to my level.

I rolled my eyes behind my glasses before reaching up and touching his face. He was exactly how I pictured him; pointed chin, smooth skin and princely features. His hair, however, was even softer than mine and that made me pout a little. I smiled at him again. "You're very pretty."  
I could feel his cheeks heat a little under my fingers as Kushina chuckled, thoroughly amused and used to my randomness. "He is, isn't he?"

I dropped my hands and Minato stood, having regained his dignity.

He turned towards Kushina. "I suppose I should be going now and let you teach your student, Kushina-san." I rolled my eyes as he bowed slightly to her before turning to me and ruffling my hair. "Pleasure to meet you, Akani-chan. Don't let Kushina-san scare you too much."  
"Great. _Now_ you tell me, after I've been mentally scarred for life," I grumbled, making him laugh. My red-haired sensei simply ignored me.

He turned and left, but I perked up and ran after him, stopping just outside of Kushina's apartment. He was gathering chakra to flicker away. "Wait, Minato-san!"  
He paused and turned back to me with a smile. "Hai, Akani-chan?"  
"You're teaching Kakashi Hatake, right?"

"… He is a current apprentice of mine, yes. Why do you ask?"  
I grinned viciously. "Mind if I join you for training sometime? I haven't caught up with Kashi-chan for a while and I'm finding myself missing my nearest and dearest best friend."  
Minato seemed a little wary of how I worded myself, but I didn't blame him. No doubt at this age the words 'Kakashi' and 'best friend' didn't usually go together. 'Stick' and 'ass,' however…

"Um… sure, I suppose."  
"Great!" I chirped. "But can we keep it a secret? I want to surprise him."  
"S-sure."  
My smile was something along the lines of 'the cat that got the canary' but I couldn't care less. Kakashi needed to lighten up, and I knew a certain _youthful_ spirit that would be more than glad to help me with that.

"Arigato, Minato-san! I promise to knock next time you and Kushina-sensei are sucking face!"

He quickly flickered away and I cackled madly, ducking back inside Kushina's apartment. I didn't notice the chilly atmosphere until I closed the door behind me.

By then it was too late.

My smile turned a little hesitant as I looked up into Kushina's twitching face. "A-ah… greetings, Kushina-sensei. I'm… here for… my… lesson?"

"Akani-chan?"  
I paled. Dear Kami, the _sickly sweet tones…_

"Y-yes?" I squeaked.

She filled her hands with a variety of sharp, pointy and _painful_ tools.

"… Run. _Fast._"

I didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Obito was waiting for me by my apartment door when I got home. I kicked him, since he'd fallen asleep leaning against my door.

He was startled awake and leapt to his feet, hands out front as if to ward off an attacker. "Huh? Whaa? Akani-chan! About time you- why are your clothes all holey?"  
I tried to smile, but given how Obito took a step back I must have failed. "Training," I answered simply, shuddering a little as flashes of clanging metal and chakra-chains flitted across my memory.

"What kind of trai-"

"Just drop it, Obi!"

He pouted, but didn't ask anything else as I led him inside.

He emptied out most of my fridge and dirtied most of my dishes as he made himself dinner. He didn't make any for me since once I cleaned myself up I was out like a light on the threadbare couch squashed into the corner of the room.

He was courteous enough to clean up after himself and lock the door behind him as he left, though.

I wasn't exactly a happy camper when Guy came knocking on my door a few hours later and pulling me out towards the training grounds.

* * *

I fell asleep in class again.

Shouta-sensei didn't even bother to wake me up this time.

Rin did a good enough job for him.

I had another bruise to add to the collection.

* * *

"But why?" I whined.

"Because you've been slacking off on the technical side of it."  
"Have not."  
"Have too."  
"Have not."  
"Have too times infinity!"  
I pouted, crossing my arms. "That is _so_ childish. Besides, e_veryone_ knows it's 'times infinity plus one.'"

Jiraiya scowled, shoving a handful of leaves towards me. "Whatever you say, bratling. Now turn these leaves to dust in your right hand, and into soggy mush with the left, just like the scrolls I gave you outlined. I'm out."

He turned on his heel and I threw the leaves in the air like confetti. He twisted towards me with a grimace. "I can always find another quasi-student. You're making this very difficult you know."  
I grinned brightly. "I know! Which is why you're going to stay here and _properly_ teach me how to use my elemental affinities."  
"Oh yeah?" he drawled, hands on his hips as he gazed mockingly down at me. "And what's a shrimp like you gonna do to stop me from leaving?"  
I casually inspected my nails, buffing them on my shirt. "Oh, I don't know. Perhaps tell Kushina-sensei you were peeping on her just last week. Minato-san won't like that, I'd imagine." I snapped my fingers, ignoring his spluttering. "Oh! I know! I'll tell Hokage-sama how you were spying on his daughter the week before that!"  
Jiraiya paled, going stock still. "I'll do anything," he stated quickly.

I smiled. "I know! Now _sit_," I demanded. He obeyed. "And pass me that leaf." Again, he obeyed. "And walk me through the process of crumbling a leaf to dust, or turning it to mush."  
Jiraiya grumbled, but did as he was told.

My entire argument was a bluff, since I'd only sensed his chakra signature around the general vicinity of the hot springs when Kushina-sensei and the Hokage's daughter were there at any given time during the day.

But Jiraiya didn't need to know I had no concrete proof.

His willingness to teach me to shut me up was proof enough.

I broke out into evil chuckles randomly that made the Toad Sage a little nervous.

And I didn't even care.

* * *

I glared down at the leaf resting in my palm, willing it to turn to dust with my useless eyes.  
Sadly, it remained plump and full.

It had been almost two weeks since Jiraiya gave me an incredibly detailed lesson on converting my chakra to the earth nature, and then transferring that to the leaf in my hands but I still hadn't made any progress. Any other time I activated my earth nature, it was purely by accident. Both times I'd been aggravated, and both time's I'd been punching something.

Water surprisingly came easy. The leaf had been soggy and sloppy after a few days of trying.

I needed control over both of my elemental affinities, but the stupid leaf wouldn't cooperate.

It was such a snob, not doing what I wanted.

I shredded the stupid thing in a fit of anger, much to the amusement of my recently arrived onlooker.

"Can I help you with something, Minato-san?" I asked while searching the ground for another leaf. I found one and set back to work, nose wrinkled in concentration.

"Kushina-san simply sent me to ask if you were alright. She mentioned you'd been working very hard lately."

I paused in my ministrations, my mouth popping open. "Oh crap! My fuinjutsu lessons!" I scrabbled to my feet and looked at Minato with a pleading expression. "I'm late and Kushina-sensei is going to kill me and since I'm too young to die I was wondering if you, Minato-san, boyfriend of my forever beautiful and hopefully humble and forgiving sensei will take me there in record time since if I die because I'm late I'm totally blaming you and I'll haunt you forever and ever!" I inhaled sharply to replace the oxygen I just rapidly expelled as Minato looked at me blankly.

Had he been able to follow any of that?  
He was known for his genius and speed, so…

I hoped so.

I twiddled my thumbs as he stared.

Then he smiled brightly. "Okay!"  
I blinked. "Eh-"

I was cut off as Minato grabbed my shoulder and I was squeezed into a tight ball and shot through a tube. Quicker than the flicker my feet met the ground but it was no less disorientating. Minato stood quietly beside me.

A noise made me flare my chakra and the cry of 'Surprise!' had me flipping backwards to latch onto the wall with chakra, two training kunai in my hands. I blinked as my fight-or-flight response settled down until I recognised Kushina, Jiraiya, Minato and…

I glowered as I slid from the wall, landing neatly on my feet.

"Kakashi-san," I greeted stiffly.

"Akani-san," he replied, equally as frosty.

Everything was deathly quiet.

No one dared to move.

No one dared to _breathe_.

Kushina wasn't 'no one.' She broke the tense atmosphere with an awkward chuckle as she approached me. "Happy seventh birthday, Akani-chan!"  
I blinked. "My… birthday?"  
"You can't even remember a simple date?" Kakashi asked dryly.

"Shut up, jerkface!" I snapped. "Why are you even here?"  
"Minato-sensei made me come," he growled.

I rolled my eyes. "_So_ sorry for your busy schedule to be put out," I drawled sarcastically. I pointed over my shoulder towards the door since we were in Kushina's living room. "You don't have to stay. Don't let the door hit that stick in your ass on the way out."  
"Akani-chan! Language!" Kushina shouted from across the room.

"Gomen!" I called back sweetly before turning back to Kakashi. "I want my friend here for my birthday Kakashi, and I want you to stay but I won't force you to stay."  
"You _can't_ force me stay," he said smugly.

I raised my clenched fist in his face, taking a step forward. "Wanna say that again, jerk? I've been training, you know!"

He sniffed, grimacing beneath his mask. "Are you sure you were _training_ and not rolling around in a pig sty?"  
"Why I oughta-," I growled, only to be cut off by a loud knock at the door.

Kushina frowned and went to answer it, grumbling about not expecting anyone else. The door swung open to reveal the Hokage… flanked by a fidgeting Obito and grinning Guy.

"Hokage-sama," Kushina blurted, a little shocked. "What can I do for you?"  
He merely smiled and looked straight at me. "Just passing through to say my well-wishes to the birthday girl and happened to pick up two rather lost boys on the way."  
Guy and Obito both laughed nervously as the focus shifted towards them.

"Akani-chan?" the Sandaime asked. I tilted my head in question. "Would you mind a private word with this old man, please?"

Everyone ignored Jiraiya's happy crow of '_finally_ he admits it!'  
"U-um, okay, Hokage-sama."

I glanced hesitantly around the room before following the Hokage into the entry-way, Guy and Obito being ushered inside by Kushina.

I shifted my feet awkwardly. "Um… how are you, Hokage-sama?"  
His lips twitched in amusement. "I'm very well, thank you Akani-chan. I have been told you've been training quite hard lately. How is that going?"  
Ah.

I see.

He was simply checking my progress, using my birthday as a cover. The genin exam was only a measly five weeks away, and I absolutely _had_ to pass it.

I gave him a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Oh, you know, as well as can be expected I guess."  
"Hm."  
My smile faded a little around the edges before dying, my expression turning into a frown. "I'm worried, Hokage-sama." He didn't say anything so I took that as an invitation to continue. I was confiding in him, after all. Just like he told me to. "I can't do henge or the basic clone, and my elemental training isn't quite coming along but my taijutsu is so far my best ability thanks to Guy, only second to my sensing and echolocation. I'm… I'm not sure if I can pass the test, Hokage-sama."  
"My dear… you're thinking too laterally. Exceptions for shinobi who have certain… inabilities are taken into account."  
I paused in thought. "So… the instructors will take my blindness into account?"  
"Yes."  
"But… won't that affect my scores?"  
"I think you'll find that Shouta-kun can be quite persuasive when he wants to be, especially when it comes to getting the exams to go the way he wants," the Hokage stated, amused.

"Shouta-sensei? What's he got to do with the genin exam?"  
The Hokage sighed wearily and I felt incredibly stupid for even asking. "Shouta-kun will be the one testing you, Akani-chan. He knows of the expectations placed on you, and he knows of mine."

"Oh."  
Translation: he knows the Hokage _needs_ me to pass. Maybe not the 'why' but Shouta-sensei was a retired shinobi and knew a lot about the inner workings of the village.

He knew that I was training in fuinjutsu, and that I was an incredible sensory type, therefore a benefit to the village. He'd probably design my own test around my strengths, but also challenge me enough to point out my weaknesses.

He was the sensei for a reason.

The Hokage simply observed all the emotions flitting across my face before giving a small nod, happy with whatever conclusion he apparently came to.

"I will leave you to your party, Akani-chan. Once again, happy birthday."  
I gave him a warm smile. "Arigato, Hokage-sama."  
I re-entered the living room to the sound of absolute anarchy.

Kushina had burnt the birthday cake and was yelling at Minato for not warning her sooner as Jiraiya merely laughed at them in the background.

Guy was doing leg squats in the corner next to Kakashi, bumbling about youth or something and Obito – not one to be left behind – was struggling to keep up, growling at the sideways cocky glances and snide remarks Kakashi was sending him.

Two different generations, but somehow they both made me smile.

Best birthday so far.

I ran over to my three friends and glomped Obito, sending him tumbling into Kakashi who in turn landed in a heap upon Guy.

I heard Kakashi groan and try to shove Obito off as Guy's voice was muffled by the carpet shoved in his face.

I merely grinned down at the older boys who'd become a large a part of my life.

Yup.

Best birthday _ever_.

* * *

Jiraiya gave me a beautiful calligraphy set, complete with a special chakra ink and pot.

Kushina gave me sealing scrolls – much neater than what I could ever hope to do at my level.

Minato gave me a Braille scroll on a sealess water technique. He'd apparently asked Kushina what my affinity was.

Kakashi deferred to his blonde sensei who sighed in exasperation and said the scroll was from both of them.

I simply rolled my eyes, but thanked them all the same.

Obito promised to treat me to dango since he simply tagged along with the Hokage.

Guy – much that same as Obito, who also didn't know it was my birthday – took off his training weights and legwarmers and gave them to me, shouting about how 'youthful' his protégée was when I accepted them with a (fake) smile.

The smelled overly like Guy, and I made a mental note to scrub them clean before wearing them.

Nevertheless my resolve to become a kunoichi hardened into an attainable goal that seemed closer to being achieved than it did that morning.

Somehow, after everyone went home, I felt that everything was going to work out, no matter what happened.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

_Four weeks until exam:_

The spray from the waterfall misted my skin as I stood on top of the turbulent water in front of it. The scrolls the Hokage, Jiraiya and Minato had given me lay tucked safely against a rock on the shore, out of the splash zone should I happen to blow the jutsu up.

I'd practiced enough with a small bucket of water in the training grounds Kushina took me to but it was time to move onto bigger things.

It was time to bring the awesome.

I cracked my knuckles and concentrated, my fingers flying through handseals as my chakra molded how I wanted it to. My palms slapped the surface of the water.

"Water Style: Water Wall!"

I pumped my chakra into the liquid beneath me and it exploded upwards in front of me to form a three foot thick barrier almost six feet high and eight feet wide. I immediately felt the chakra drain, but it wasn't as much as I thought since it was an affinity.

My chakra was unique, after all.

I grinned and let the wall fall.

Jutsu one; success, though there was always room for improvement.

I jogged back to shore and stood on the edge of the water, left hand dipping into the rushing stream. This one was sealess, though difficult to get the hang of since you had to mold your chakra just so.

I filtered my chakra through my fingers and grabbed at the water, compressing and tightening until it was latched onto my digits. Gingerly, I lifted them into the air, the water staying in beads on my fingertips.

I almost grinned until my control almost slipped, then I became the picture of concentration once more. I aimed towards a large boulder by the sides of the walls and _pushed_.

The water bullets sped from my fingers and collided with the rock, chipping away at it from the force. With practice the bullets would slice straight through the rock, especially at such close range.

I sat back on my rump with a huff, slightly drained but beaming all the same.

Jutsu two; success.

I didn't even sense the pair of eyes watching me from the trees.

* * *

_Three weeks until exam:_

I wasn't lost.

Nope.

No siree.

I was just… going on an extended adventure… in an unknown part of the village… which I'd never been to before and…

Yeah, okay, I was lost.

I wouldn't be, though, if Obito hadn't taken off with my backpack after the Academy was let out. I was fast, but Obito was wily and I was too exhausted from my full training days to search for his chakra signature. Ergo, I was now lost _and_ late for my fuinjutsu lessons with Kushina-sensei.

"I think he came this way," I mumbled, sidestepping a rather ominous looking plant. Rin was better at looking for herbs than I was, since they all looked the same to me. Misty blue outlines of leafy shrubs. 'The plant with the purple under-sided leaves' meant nothing to me, and I gave up trying to understand herbal remedies within the first half hour.

Rin bopped me on the head for that, too.

I pushed a large bramble aside, only to sigh with relief as a building loomed ahead. I could ask for directions.

I went to take a step forward but let go of the branch, forgetting I had _pushed_ it away, therefore it only had one way to go. Back towards me. It swung back and smacked me in the face. It was like a spring, shooting me backwards end over end until I landed upside down against a tree trunk.

"Ow, ow, ow," I whined, flopping onto my front. I didn't get up. I hurt everywhere. "What's the number on the guy who hit me?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't me," a new voice intoned.

I 'eeped' and scrabbled to my feet, slipping into a sloppy taijutsu stance in my panic. Then I registered the laughing.

"No need for that, little one. Are you the delivery ninja Hokage-sama sent?" the man – elderly and _short_ – asked me.

I blinked. "Eh? Oh, no I'm not a ninja. I'm lost."  
The older man chuckled. "Well, 'Lost,' you can call me Io!'

I blushed. "S-sorry, I'm Akani."  
"Ah," the man said sagely. "A prettier name than 'Lost.' So, Lost, you're lost?"  
I pouted. I was apparently amusing this man to no end. "Hai. I was chasing my friend since he stole my stuff as a prank but I got lost."  
"Ah," the man repeated. "Young love. Takes me back."  
"E-eh?" I spluttered. "I-I'm seven! I'm too young to be in love, you crazy geezer!"  
The man patted me on the head hard, making me wince and glower since he was only a few inches taller than me. "A word of advice? Don't deny it so heartily. Must makes you look like you're lying."  
"Whatever, ojiisan. Do you know the way back to the village or not?"  
"Hai."  
I waited. "Well?"  
"Well what?"  
"Are you going to tell me?"  
"Tell you what?"  
"Directions to the village?!"  
Io laughed heartily and I grew a twitch in my eyebrow. "Oh, that's easy!"  
After a few moments of silence occasionally broken by my grinding teeth, I snapped. "Are you gonna tell me or not old man?!"  
Io tilted his head in confusion. "Tell you what?"  
"That's it!" I yelled, gripping my hair in frustration. "You senile old fart! Tell me which way back to the village!"  
Io laughed. "Oh, that's easy!" he repeated, but didn't elaborate.

I lost my temper and charged, sweeping in with the style I had yet to perfect with Guy's help. I wasn't thinking. I was frustrated and my temper was incredibly short since I simply _knew_ Kushina was going to punish me by using me for target practice.

Imagine my surprise when the man deftly dipped under my clawed hand swipe, and subsequent follow through kicks and punches.

He deftly flipped away to land on a tree branch high above me, hand on his chin in thought. I remained on the ground, huffing and trying to get my anger under control. My palms were almost bleeding from my nails by how hard I was clenching my hands.

"Flexibility very good, but still young and more of a close to mid range fighter," Io mumbled to himself. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, simply listening to his break down of my movements. "Judging by faint taint of chakra in the air, I would think some sort of sensing jutsu to make up for a disability…" He saw me stiffen slightly and I mentally cursed for being so see-through. "Correction; disability a certainty. Probably to do with the eyes?"  
It took me a moment to realise he was talking to me. I blushed, and gave a slight nod. Io jumped back down to the ground, a small smile on his face.

"Forgive me, Akani-chan, but I didn't introduce myself fully. My name is Io the Weapon Inventor."  
I raised a brow. "Weapon inventor?"  
"Hai. Most of my creations are somewhat… volatile, so my workshop is here on the outskirts of the village in case something blows up. Minor setbacks though, I assure you."

"O-okay," I said. So… what now? I fidgeted, feeling more than a little awkward. "Gomen, Io-san, for attacking you."  
"Why would you apologise for something I wanted you to do?" Io chuckled.

"Oh… wait, you _wanted _me to attack you?" I asked, shocked. "Why?"  
"So I can get a read of you and make you something. Duh?"  
The casual reply stunned me into silence for a few moments. "Why would you make something for _me?_ I… I don't have any money to pay for anything you make."  
Io simply waved that off. "Feh. I've been waiting for a challenge, and besides… think of this as an apology for forcing your hand."  
I felt incredibly uncomfortable at that moment. I didn't know this man, yet here he was offering to simply _give_ me a custom made weapon. I didn't know what he would make, but I guess I had to trust him. He was the expert, after all.

"Arigato, Io-san."  
He patted my head again, this time a little more softly. "No worries, little one. I should have something for you in two weeks, give or take a few days. The village is about half a mile south-east through the forest path."  
I glanced southeast and, sure enough, there was a path leading through the trees. I gave Io a smile and bow in thanks before running off to either find Obito and kill him, or beg Kushina for mercy.

I would prefer to do both, but life sucked sometimes.

I thought of Io and his amazingly random offer. I smiled.

Well, maybe it didn't suck _all_ the time.

* * *

Io watched the young one go with a smile on his face.

She would never know the Hokage – an old friend of his – had him commission something special for the child.

He chuckled a little before coughing, a small cloud of ash erupting from his mouth as a result of one his more… explosive creations.

"Well, time to get back to work! Gihihi."

* * *

_Two weeks until exam:_

"Ne, Kushina-sensei, I looked up some laws the other day."  
"Oh?"  
"Hai."  
"And what did they say?"  
"That using a child as a human pincushion is illegal and considered child cruelty," I deadpanned, dodging a flurry of kunai. It should have worried me how second nature this was by now, but I didn't even think about dodging anymore. I simply did it.

"Huh," Kushina said, twirling a kunai around her finger. "I don't think it applies here though."  
"How so?" I asked, dodging the sharp projectile. I flipped out of the way of a rather large, chakra laced stone.

"Because you're an Academy student, and therefore wanting to become a kunoichi."  
"You're poi-eep!" I barely ducked a surprise attack of shuriken.

"Get used to it, brat!" Kushina cackled. She was enjoying this a little too much. "You think an enemy will care if it's considered child cruelty?"  
"No, but you're not an enemy!"  
I knew as soon as the words left my mouth I'd said the wrong thing. Kushina was across the field one moment, and in front of me the next, hoisting me up by my shirt collar.

It took a lot of effort to not react in any way at all.

"I can turn on you in an instant, you know," she snarled, but I didn't show any reaction. I couldn't. Her presence was almost suffocation. "I'm a jonin, and you're an Academy student. I'm your superior in every way, just as the people who are stronger are superior to those weaker in every way." She dropped me and her presence faded as if it never was. "You wanted to protect your friends, right?"  
"Y-yes," I whispered hoarsely, rubbing my sore throat. My shirt had dug into the tender skin.

"So don't complain about my teaching methods. There's a reason I do what I do, Akani-chan, and your job is to learn, not complain. Understood?"  
I stood as graciously as I could but didn't show her any weakness other than the slight trembling in my hands. For a moment, Kushina wasn't my sensei. She was the incredibly dangerous kunoichi with the Kyuubi sealed in her gut and its power at her disposal. For a moment, I was terrified of her.

But she didn't want me to be.

That was the point.

I gave her a sharp nod. "Understood, Kushina-sensei."  
She gave me her customary bright grin, twirling a handful of shuriken around her fingers as she did so. "Good!" she chirped. "Now start dodging, brat!"

She let the metal fly, and I deftly dodged like the good student I was.

* * *

_One week until exam:_

I glared at Jiraiya with my hands on my hips. I had been happy moments before, but the perve shot down my happy mood.

"Why?" I huffed.

Jiraiya simply shrugged, fiddling with the telescope I knew was hidden in his shirt. "Don't have the time, shrimp."  
"Well," I bit out. "Make some time, _ero-baka._"  
"Oi! Don't call me that, shrimp!"

"I'll stop if you teach me this jutsu!" I countered.

"No."  
"Why not?" I whined. I lifted my hand and showed him the dusty remains of the leaf I'd _finally_ managed to crumble. "I killed that leaf good! Teach me, teach me, teach me!"

Jiraiya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just _had_ to get a girl," he mumbled.

I stiffened. I _hated_ being underestimated, especially for something as trivial as my _gender_. I took a menacing step forward, uncaring that I was about to threaten a man who could kill me with an afterthought. I didn't notice the ground crack underneath my feet as I did so.

"What was that?" I growled. "Something wrong with me being a girl, ero-baka?"  
"N-no," he stuttered, in shock.

I frowned at his response, my ire ebbing until I followed his gaze to the ground. "Hey, what happened to the ground? Was there an earthquake or something?"  
Jiraiya facepalmed. "Kami, you're denser than the earth you're trying to control, you know that?"  
I sighed, slumping a little. "Yeah. So I've been told."  
"Don't act so bloody depressed all of a sudden," Jiraiya said. I still moped, sniffling a little. He shuffled awkwardly. "Hey… don't cry, alright? Kami, I hate it when girls cry. Just…" A tear slipped down my cheek and he began to freak out. "Will you stop if I teach you that jutsu?"  
My tears miraculously dried and I smiled up at him. "Promise?"  
"I… I just got played, didn't I?" the Toad Sage mumbled.

"Like a harp," I sang. I trembled my lower lip exaggeratedly. "'Cause ero-baka's just so _mean_ and he didn't wanna teach me, even though he _promised_."  
He bopped me on the head, forcing me to the ground. I rubbed my sore butt, glaring up at him but he simply grinned down at me. "See? Mean. No wonder you're still single."  
"Oi! The ladies _love_ the Gallant and Great Toad Sage, Jir-"

"I don't care, ero-baka," I cut off.

He slumped, head hanging. "You never let me finish my introduction."

I snorted. "Thank Kami. God forbid you incorporate a stupid dance into it too."

I shuddered and was reminded of when I got Guy hooked on 'youth.'

I felt like I had just done something that people would want to punch me for in the future.

I glanced fearfully towards Jiraiya and, with some trepidation, I saw him in a deep thinking pose. "H-hey, I was just kidding. Now show me this jutsu or I'll tell Minato-san and Hokage-sama about your peeping."  
Jiraiya snorted. "That information is at least a few weeks old, brat."  
My grin was sinister. "You know that, and I know that. But _they_ don't know that." Jiraiya was silent. "So… teacher gonna teach, or what?"  
He grudgingly did so, though I went home dirty and bruised.

Luckily I got the jutsu down pat after the first day, though.

* * *

The morning of the genin exam dawned and I woke after a restless night sleep. I couldn't help it. I'd been so focused on training for it, and learning new jutsu and taijutsu that I didn't have time to panic. Now, however, I was.

I was shaking so hard that I put my shirt on inside out and back to front and the wrong shoes on the wrong foot. I spilled my breakfast on said backwards shirt and had to grab a new one which, thankfully, was put on the right way.

When it came time to leave for the Academy, Obito was nowhere to be found. He was probably helping Junko-obaa again. I had the pleasure of meeting the little old lady who gave me a hard candy she seemed to have an endless supply of whenever I saw her out and about the market place.

I made my way to the Academy alone, greeting Muta with a nervous, shaky nod. My usual chair seemed extra uncomfortable today.

"Nervous?"  
The soft yet familiar voice made me jump and I turned towards Muta. "W-what? Psh. No. Why would I be nervous?"  
"… Your shirt is inside out."  
My face burned as I banged my head on the desk. "Is… is it noticeable?" I whispered, knowing he'd hear me.  
"Your shirt, or your nerves?"  
I shrugged helplessly. "Both, I guess."

"… You hide the latter very well. The former…" He trailed off and I tilted towards him, raising a brow in question. "Hold still."  
"What-"

There was a metallic shearing sound and Muta's hands were gone from near my collarbone in a flash. He'd cut the telling tag off.

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, buddy."  
He gave me a stiff nod in reply but his chakra was quivering a little. He'd made himself uncomfortable to save me face and I wouldn't forget it. I rested my cheek against the cool wood and simply listened. The others in my class, like Obito and Rin were nine or eight like Muta. I was the baby of the class, and I felt the pressure. I'd come out of nowhere and was considered a smarty-pants and a hard worker. I hoped I'd done the Hokage proud by doing the best I could. My grades had started to slip a little, what with all my training, but Rin helped me greatly with that.

I waved back to her without lifting my head as she sat down towards the front of the class with a few other girls she was friends with long before I came. She knew I was a sensor and my spatial awareness was incredible, but she didn't know I was blind. If I had it my way, she'd never know.

Rin was the motherly type, and if she knew of my blindness she'd treat me like a china doll.

I didn't want that.

I liked her slapping the back of my head whenever I said or did something stupid, and telling me to 'watch' where I was going. People tended to get weirded out when someone made light of their disability. The adults didn't care because they'd seen weirder stuff than a blind sensor kunoichi.

Shouta-sensei slid the door open and entered, making his way towards his desk. His chakra thrummed with sadistic happiness as the class went completely silent and the air became tense. He slapped the files in his hands on the desk with a loud 'thwap,' chuckled darkly when a few kids jumped.

"Good morning, class," he greeted a little too happily.

His freak-out tactics were definitely working. I could only barely choke out a 'Good morning, sensei' along with the rest of the class.

He opened his mouth to say something else when someone crashed and tumbled through the door. I facepalmed as Obito leapt to his feet and dusted off his clothes with a happy grin.

"I'm here! Have no fear!" he cried, finger pointed to the sky.

Silence.

Obito chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Obi!" I hissed, gaining his attention. I ignored everyone else. "Read the situation, idiot!"  
"Oi! Don't call me an idiot, Red," he snapped back, huffing as he made his way towards a spare seat in front of me. He completely ignored Shouta-sensei currently glaring holes in the back of his head. "You're so mean to me, Akani-chan and why is everyone looking at me?"  
My forehead met the desk with a loud 'thunk.'

"Thank you for joining us for the genin examination, Uchiha-san," Shouta-sensei drawled.

"Genin… examination?" Obito asked before the lightbulb clicked on. "Oh! Right! Heh… sorry I'm late sensei. There was this little girl who lost her kitten and I had to help her out, you know?"

I banged my head on the desk repeatedly, hoping that somehow _I _could beat out Obito's stupid for him. Incredibly amazing friend, but completely oblivious to changes in atmosphere. Either that, or he purposefully ignored it.

I couldn't really tell.

"Not a very imaginative excuse, Uchiha-san, but I suppose since you're here I'm going to assume you actually _want_ to become a shinobi," Shouta-sensei sighed.

"Hells yeah!" Obito yelled, fist pumping. I leant forward and slapped the back of his head, my hand meeting his goggle strap. "Ouch! Akani-chan!" he whined, turning towards me. He was about to say something else when I silenced him with a glare. He sulked in his chair.

Shouta-sensei's lips twitched minutely. Everyone missed it and I would have too had his chakra not shivered in amusement.

"Since we are all ready _now,_" he said, instantly serious. Everyone's backs straightened subconsciously. "You will all be participating in the genin examination. When your name is called you will come into the classroom next door and I will give you a series of tests. But first…" His smile turned downright evil as he whipped out a ream of test papers. "The written exam."

I paled.

Written… test?  
I was freaking _blind!_

How was I supposed to do this?!

My head met the desk again, only this time I didn't lift it.

Shouta-sensei simply rested my test paper over my head, not at all disturbed by the obstacle my face was causing.

Once all the tests were handed out he flickered back towards the front, his crazy half-grin still in place.

"Begin."

* * *

**So... I'm pretty sure it's just the 'notification high' but I love everything right now...**

**Especially *YOU* :3**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I don't eat chocolate that often. I know. I'm a girl so therefore I'm ****_weird_**** right? :/**

**I often wonder if people even read these things... I know I don't most of the time. I see BOLD and think 'Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.'**

**Koala's (an indigenous Australian mammal) have fingerprints that are unique and so close to humans that most often they can't be told apart.**

**The Emu and Kangaroo are the animals used to represent Australia because they cannot go backwards. The National Anthem is titled '****_Advance_**** Australia Fair,' so both animals make sense because of this.**

**:)**


	15. To prove one's worth

**Sorry about the late update!**

**Just letting you guys know that I'm dropping the update days back again to (maybe) twice a week since Christmas is coming up and being a mother is sometimes nightmarish enough! :P**

**lacomptessa****: I feel your love! LOVE ME! Haha! :D**

**1412 karasu****: The reason Akani could run through her house is because blind people get used to furniture placement and her mother only wrote the seals on the walls. That, combined with her memory map of her home's layout equals happily squealing Akani. That's how a majority of blind people find their way around - a memory map of sorts. I suppose you could call it habit, too. 'The couch is five steps from the door,' 'the bedroom is twenty steps down the hall' and stuff like that.**

**As for the forest which Akani ran through, the way I visioned it is that ****_nature_**** chakra is green, and regular chakra is blue. She can't tap into nature chakra so therefore she couldn't see anything in the forest. But it was a minor miracle she didn't smack face first into a tree, if I do say so myself. :)**

**And I suppose I could answer the question about my age.**

**I'll be 23 next June. :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

_Scratch. Scratch scratch._

Pencil on paper was all I could hear in the quiet classroom, and it made me want to tear my hair out. I had already felt the smooth expanse of the paper. It wasn't in Braille. I had no idea what was on the paper. Muta was stiff and silent beside me. He couldn't help me.

Shouta-sensei was watching everyone like a hawk.

_Scratch. Scratch scratch scratch._

It made me nauseous.

Was this a set up? Because I felt like it was.

The Hokage said Shouta-sense knew of my blindness, so why the _hell_ was I given a _normal written test_?

Did someone want me to fail?

_Scratch._  
The thought made me grit my teeth. I hadn't come this far just to be cold-cocked on the home stretch. I could always…

No.

I wouldn't hear the end of it, but…

Was me not being able to do the test an actual test? I was proud, no doubt, so was this supposed to be some sick, twisted lesson in humility? I stiffened as Shouta-sensei's chakra quivered slightly with an emotion I couldn't place.

_Scratch scratch._

The man was usually pretty cautious, and that was reflected in his signature. The fact that he allowed me to see anything in his chakra must mean I wasn't shielding my emotions as well as I thought, and he was happy about it.

_Scratchscratchscratchscratch._

My eyebrow twitched.

My hand raised.

And Shouta-sensei smirked.

"Is there a problem, Akani-chan?"  
The scratching stopped, and the silence was almost deafening, and the class's eyes almost burned me. I straightened and sighed quietly as I stood, waving my test paper in front of me like a shield or a surrender-flag. "I can't do this test, sensei."  
My voice was quiet, but it carried.

"… And why is that, Akani-chan?"  
I stiffened. The bastard wanted me to say it out loud. I wasn't ashamed of my blindness, but I wanted it to be kept a secret for a little longer. My hands shook a little as I reached up towards my glasses and slid them on top of my head, blinking my milky eyes around the room.

"I'm blind. I cannot see the test paper therefore I can't do the written test, sensei."

Whispers broke out, and I could feel the shock and hurt radiating from Rin and Obito. They were some of my closest friends, and I'd kept it from them, so their reactions were understandable. I shot them an apologetic look, silently telling them I'd explain later.

Muta was a calm presence beside me, and that strangely gave me strength.

Shouta-sensei calmly walked up the stairs towards me. The class was quiet once more.

The test felt like lead covered in gritty sandpaper as sensei took it from my grasp.

"I see," he murmured, and I ignored Rin's chakra quivering with horrified disgust. I was used to the careless words regarding sight, by now. To be honest, I'd often used the expressions myself and found a twisted kind of humour in them.

Rin was too kind and empathetic for her own good.

And that was exactly why I didn't want her to know.

I wasn't made of freaking bone china. I could handle myself.

"My mistake," Shouta-sensei drawled, shoving a new test paper in my hands. It was in Braille. "Hokage-sama had a special test drawn up for you, Akani-chan, but it must have slipped my mind. Busy and important day, you see."  
I inhaled sharply to cool my anger. My sensei was an asshole. He'd planned this. He knew I would have to battle my pride and reveal something personal to people who I had sparred, laughed and fought with.

Shouta-sensei leaned closer as I went to tug the test from his grip, his voice so low only I – and possibly Muta – could hear. "Pride always comes before the fall, Akani-chan. Trust your comrades."

And then he was gone.

And I was left biting my tongue as I sank into my chair and began my test.

I could still feel everyone's eyes on me.

* * *

When Shouta-sensei called 'time' on the written test I almost cried with relief. Not that the test was hard – even though it _was_ difficult – but because he also called for a short break before the individual testing. I practically fled from the classroom before Rin and Obito could corner me.

Unfortunately someone else blocked my way.

"Move," I spat through gritted teeth.

Kasai simply smiled, flanked by his cronies. "I always knew there was something _off_ about you. I could _see_ it."  
"Oh, clever pun," I deadpanned. "You come up with that by yourself?"

I stepped backwards to quickly avoid a violent shove the older boy aimed at me. Kasai was physically the strongest in class despite being civilian born which meant he dominated the taijutsu sparring through sheer brute strength. He made me eat dirt during my first week in class, and I had a lovely split lip as a result.

The sensei's hadn't versed us since.

It seemed Kasai was trying to make up for lost time.

"Look," I snapped. "I don't know what the hell I've done to piss you off, but can you at least be a decent person and treat me better than dirt?"

I was almost overwhelmed by a strange sense of déjà vu.

Kasai sneered. "Why should I listen to trash?"

My eye twitched, but that was all I did. I couldn't screw up my chances of graduating because of one ass-hat.

"Trash will always be trash," Kasai continued, his voice becoming more and more bitter and scathing. "And you're nothing but dirt, so that's how I'll treat you. You think you have what it takes to become a ninja? You're a deadweight no-name orphan who, for some _insane_ reason, has the support of Hokage-sama."  
It was like a bolt of electricity hit me. Kasai was jealous. I wasn't sure if it was of me or the situations I found myself in, but it all suddenly made sense. I was the youngest in class, so presumably the weakest so that was enough reason for him to focus on me.

At first.

And then all that crap with the ANBU and Shouta-sensei's speech about Hokage-sama's faith in me…

Really, I practically called this upon myself. I should have known that not everyone would feel as put out by the attention as I was. Others would be jealous. And Kasai was a civilian born, not a child of a clan and therefore he was expected to fail due to lack of pre-Academy training.

I fucking hated village politics.

"What do you want?" I murmured, making Kasai pause. I looked him straight in the eye, my milky irises making him squirm a little before his bravado came back. "What can I do to make you stop thinking of me like that?"

Kasai grinned. "You. Me. Spar. Right now."

I nodded. "Done."

I followed him out towards the packed dirt circle saved for friendly spars between students under the sensei's supervision. I could understand trading blows instead of words. I'd tried to beat sense into Kakashi long enough to know that sometimes words just aren't enough.

And I was proud.

And he called me out.

And I was starting to slightly regret accepting.

Damnit.

Kasai stood across from me and I vaguely registered the multiple signatures of my classmates circling us, including the furious, thrumming Rin and hesitant Obito.

Double damnit.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rin demanded, coming at a stop on the edge of the ring. She didn't enter, since it would be rude. She had her hands on her hips and glaring directly at Kasai. "You're seriously going to fight her, Kasai-san?"

"Yes."  
"She's _blind_," Rin bit out.

I sighed, long and hard. "Rin, it's fine. I agreed to this."  
"No, it's not fine, Akani-chan," she replied, still glaring at my would-be opponent as if he'd spontaneously combust through visual contact. "You can't-"

"Rin!" She spun towards me at the sound of my commanding tone. I levelled her with a small frown. "Stop talking. I'm not useless, and I accepted Kasai-san's challenge. Leave it be."  
"But-"

"What happened to your faith in me?" I asked, slightly saddened. She was treating me differently, and I didn't like it. She wasn't looking at me like she did when I stupidly faced the Iwa nin all those weeks ago. All she saw right now was a blind child – a helpless little sister figure.

"I… I do have faith in you, Akani-chan, it's just that…" she trailed off with a helpless shrug. She was worried, and I understood that, but she couldn't worry about me all the time. I would prove that my disability wasn't a disability at all.

"Please, Rin," I said softly.

Her chakra quivered a little but she ducked her head and took a step back. Obito was surprisingly quiet, simply glancing between me, Kasai and Rin rapidly. Maybe he was finally learning some restraint?

"How touching," Kasai said airily. "But no more interruptions. I'll prove to you how much of a piece of trash you are."

"Oi!" came a familiar obnoxious Uchiha's voice. "Big words coming from you, ya jerk!"

I sighed. Nevermind.

Kasai growled towards Obito and took a menacing step forward. I decided to intervene.

"You wanted a fight, Kasai-san. Don't tell me you want to back out now."  
His attention was back on me. "Never. I'll wipe the floor with trash like you anytime, anywhere."  
I shrugged. "Okay. How about here and now?" I grinned cheekily. "Unless you're chicken…"

My classmate didn't need any more incentive. He charged headlong and I simply waited… and sensed… and ducked under the first punch to twirl out of the way.

Kasai was quite rigid in his forms, his limbs remaining stiff yet powerful as he focused most of his strength into 'one-shot-kill' punches.

If I simply dodged, I'd win this match through pure stamina.

But that wasn't the point I wanted to make.

I wasn't the only one who needed a lesson in humility.

He aimed a kick for my chest but I bent back at an impossible angle and swept my foot out, catching the soft patch of muscle behind his knee. He grunted as his knee buckled, but he remained upright.

I flipped backwards to just on the edge of the ring, blowing a lock of hair from my face. I may not be able to see, but hair on my face annoyed me. I placed my hands on my hips, smirking. "I thought this was supposed to be a fight?"

Kasai snarled and leaped towards me, but I decided to change things up and met him halfway. Needless to say, he didn't expect my fist in his face, followed by my small chakra-infused knee to his solar plexus. He dropped to the ground, wheezing with me standing slightly above him.

"H-how?" he growled. "You're trash. You're weak. You're friends are pathe-"

He didn't get to finish the sentence since I kinda blanked. All I heard was 'friends' followed up by a derogatory insult, and the next thing I knew I was twirling and leaping and sweeping and stalking Kasai who was sporting a bloody nose, crawling backwards as my steps fissured the ground.

The spectators were a dozen feet away from where they were before at the edge of the ring.

"Don't…" I snarled, my fists clenched so hard I was shaking, "Don't you _ever_ speak bad about my friends ever again or, comrade or not, I _will_ put you in your place. Got it?"  
Kasai spat out a globule of blood, and after an intense stare down – which kinda had no affect on me since I was, you know, _blind_ – he gave a small, jerky nod.

My acidic glare softened and I swept out of my defensive stance, calmly walking towards him. I reached my hand out for him to take.

After a few hesitant moments he did and I hauled him out of the dirt. I gave him a bright smile, shaking his hand firmly.

"You know, you were always the person I wanted to beat in a spar."  
He blinked a little in shock. "Eh?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You're powerful, and I respected that. I used to be a weakling so I wanted to catch up to you, I guess. So I trained because I wanted to become strong to protect my friends and comrades. I may be an orphan, Kasai, but I didn't start out that way. My new family is precious to me, and I'm glad it grows every day."  
He seemed a little confused, and more than a little uncomfortable since I was still holding his hand. I twisted my wrist until my fore and middle fingers were latching his – the sign of friendship.

"You were my school rival, even if ya didn't know it, so… thanks!"

Kasai, now completely lost, could only gape, his mouth moving like a fish out of water. I patted his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Close your mouth, Kasai-san. I can't guarantee Muta-kun will stop the flies from making a home there."

My lips twitched as I sensed Muta's chakra quiver a little in a mixture of amusement and mild offense. I'd apologise to him later.  
His jaw clicked shut and I giggled, skipping out of the ring and back towards the Academy where Shouta-sensei was leaning casually against the doorframe, watching the show. My classmates seemed to part like water before me, and I gave Rin and Obito a broad smile as I passed.

"Hiya, class buddies!" I waved. Rin's hand shot out and grabbed onto me, making me twirl like a dancer until I faced her.  
"Akani-chan… whaa… how… but you just…" Rin stammered. I sighed dramatically, shaking my head.

"Rin-chan, I'm not a doll, so don't treat me like one. I've been blind my whole life, and I'm lucky to have awesome people to teach me awesome stuff to overcome it. Like a certain fellow kunoichi with endless patience and doesn't hit me _that_ hard when I blow up a fish she spent almost an hour trying to catch," I finished with a sheepish smile.

Rin choked out a slightly frantic sounding laugh. "You're… you're…"  
"Amazing? Awesome? Amazingly awesome?" I offered.

"Unbelievable," she deadpanned.

I opened my mouth to spout a witty retort when I paused, considered, then nodded sagely. "Yes. Yes I am."

"A-akani-chan…"  
Obito's voice drew my attention to him, and I noticed he was shaking. His chakra was a complete mess and I couldn't understand what he was feeling. I immediately became concerned.

"Obito?" I asked hesitantly, taking a step towards him. "Obi, are you alr-"

"_Akani-chan! That was freaking sweet!_" he bellowed, launching himself forward to shake my shoulders. "Did you even see yourself? Kasai-san was all like 'blurgh, you're trash, blurgh' and you were like 'nah-uh, I'm keepin' my cool' and then everything was just like _woosh! Smash! Punch! Kick! _And then you totally _won_! And… and… that was _so_ awesome, Akani-chan! Teach me!"

I lost him halfway through since I could only hear a loud ringing sound, my head lolling back and forth as his shakes became more violent. He was _really _loud. I shoved him off me, ignoring the looks of my classmates and even some civilians walking by, and dug my pinky in my ear.

"Damn, Obi. You didn't have to yell. And… uh… thanks? I think…"

He bounced around me. "No worries! You're definitely gonna graduate for sure, even if your eyes are really weird looking."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Obi, don't make me assign quality control."  
Translation: don't make me give you a concussion.

He immediately fell silent, and the ringing in my ears left. Funny that, how when Obito was silent I didn't have a headache.

Discovery of the century, I'm sure.

Shouta-sensei called for everyone to toddle back inside, and we all did so, though I trailed behind the rest. I wondered if I was in trouble for fighting Kasai, but sensei had watched from the sidelines and not intervened for some reason so I supposed I shouldn't worry too much about it. I paused in front of my sensei, one leg raised comically above the threshold.

"So… Did I pass the written test?" I grinned.

Shouta-sensei's response was to shove me inside.

* * *

I hated to wait.

Actually, I hated waiting with _nothing_ to do.

And the _silence_.

Kami, the _silence_.

I understood that everyone was nervous, but this was getting ridiculous. Rin was reading a book, but her chakra was a quivering mess. Obito was biting his nails and glancing around the room like he had too much caffeine. Muta was his usual, still self. A few others were whispering nervously between themselves, only to jump at the smallest noise and zip their lips in fear.

Everything went completely dead as Shouta-sensei walked back into the room and called out another random name. He seemed to take pleasure in calling the students in for testing in any order, leaving the rest to wonder if it was their turn next. The newly graduated – or failed – students didn't return to the classroom either. Shouta-sensei was a freaking sadist.

I huffed a little, tapping my fingers on my desk in a random rhythm as the minutes ticked by. Finally, Shouta-sensei walked back into the room, glanced at his clipboard and called out a single name.

"Obito Uchiha."  
I slumped a little, since I just wanted this all to end. Obito was nervous. His chakra said as much and he glanced nervously around the room. His gaze landed on me and I gave him a bright grin and thumbs up. He straightened in his chair, but didn't get up until Rin gave him a warm, encouraging smile.

His chakra shuddered with happiness as he walked proudly behind the ex-jonin, the door closing behind him with an ominous thud.

A majority of the class 'eeped.'

My loud sigh cut through the tense air and I allowed myself to relax. Rin glanced up from her book, eying me curiously.  
I gave her a bright grin. "Obi's gonna pass. If that baka can do it, then so can I."  
Rin giggled a little before nodding, her chakra settling.

In fact, a majority of the class settled after I spoke.

I wasn't sure whether to be offended that a majority of the class thought Obito was an idiot, or happy that most of my classmates weren't grating on my senses with their wonky chakra anymore.

When Shouta-sensei came back into the room and called my name, everyone pretended they couldn't hear Obito's whoops of victory echoing in the hallway.

He had passed.

I stood with as much grace and dignity I possessed and followed after my sensei who might not be my sensei for much longer. I walked into the next classroom, and began to feel my shoulders droop.

Was I even able to pass this? Hokage-sama said that Shouta-sensei would take my blindness into account, but…

What if I couldn't perform well enough?  
What if I wasn't strong enough?  
What would I do if I failed?  
I don't think I'd be able to try and pass another genin exam because I was incredibly selfish and proud. If I couldn't do it the first go, then I knew I would give up. My knowledge of the future would have to be spilled to Hokage-sama, who was strong enough to protect it. But that left me at the mercy of others who'd want to use my knowledge for personal or political gain. That's assuming that Hokage-sama let me live.

He couldn't have that kind of information in the fragile hands of a civilian, after all.

This wasn't like the fuinjutsu lessons, or training with Guy, or chasing after Kakashi's friendship. This was the critical point I needed to pass for my plans to be set into motion.

And that's why I knew that, if I failed, I wouldn't have it in me to try again.

Maybe I was a coward too.

Yeah.

I was.

Pathetic.

My chest burned and I wondered when I stopped breathing. I inhaled sharply, the noise seeming to swallow me until Shouta-sensei's voice cut through the din.

"Get a hold of yourself, Akani-chan. Don't tell me you're going to suffer a panic attack and back out this close to proving yourself to me?"

Like a switch, my blood pressure dropped and the roaring in my head was silenced. Sensei had taken a jab at my pride, and issued a challenge, which was interesting.

I liked interesting things.

Damnit.

I mock glared. "Subtle, sensei."  
He chuckled in response and gestured for me to stand in the middle of the cleared desks. I did so, facing him with an expressionless demeanour.

"Perform the substitution with the chair behind you."  
I clasped my hands together in a single hand seal and molded my chakra, feeling for the object I was going to switch with. My chakra flared, and then there was a 'pop' and the chair was where I once stood. I heaved out a small sigh of relief.

I had to learn substitution quickly if I wanted to avoid Kushina's kunai in my ass.

Thank Kami for survival instincts and jutsu knowledge.

I grinned, only to wipe it from my face a moment later as I realised the test wasn't over.

"Henge into Hokage-sama."  
My eyebrow twitched. "I can't, sensei. My blindness hinders me from performing the henge due to lack of knowledge of detail." My voice was a monotonous drone. I'd practiced this line many times, and I supposed it showed.

"Hm. Perform the standard clone."  
I grit my teeth. "I can't, sensei. Once again, my blindness hinders me from performing the clone since I obviously don't know what I look like."

Woops, that came off sounding a little bitchy.

Why was he even asking this? The class just thought I sucked at the basics, but Shouta-sensei should know better.

"So you cannot perform two of the basic necessities outlined to pass the test to become a genin," Shouta-sensei mused. "What can you do, then?"

His tone was mocking, and slightly challenging.  
My spine stiffened and I opened my mouth to reply haughtily, to brag that I knew how to shoot water bullets from my fingertips strong enough to chip rock, and raise a strong earth barrier that I could use to protect my comrades and trap unsuspecting chunin in a lightning based barrier with my fuinjutsu.

But I didn't.

Because Shouta-sensei's chakra quivered a little around his heart. He was testing me. He wanted to rile me up, to spill what I knew, even though I was just an Academy student who shouldn't be able to do or know what I did. I was younger than the rest of the class, and had a strong, potent chakra because of my heritage. My chakra was more of a tensile strength than a calm flow like most. I had a strong life force, which was reflected in my bouts of hyperactivity and ability to blow up poor, innocent fishies.

My clan was almost extinct, really.

And I would be in constant danger because of that alone.

Shouta-sensei was indirectly trying to portray the bad guy. He was interrogating me. It bought back the good ole days of me in the hospital under the watchful eye of Kushina, Hokage-sama and Sak-

I forced myself to relax before donning a lazy smirk. "Now, now, Shouta-sensei, that's a little personal, don't ya think?"

His chakra quivered with an emotion I could vaguely call 'pride.'

"A few more questions, before I decide whether to pass you or not," he said. That confused me. I thought he was supposed to see if I was ready to become a genin via my general knowledge? "Hokage-sama seems to have a lot of faith in you, and I don't question his orders or motives as to why that is. However, he leaves your possible promotion from student to genin in my hands. How do you feel about that?"  
I blinked, slightly taken aback. What was this, a therapy session? "Pardon?"  
"I can fail you right here, right now and you won't be able to do anything about it," he pointed out. "How does that make you feel?"  
I frowned. "Well, you're my superior, so I'll guess I have to trust your judgment."  
"Trust my judgement," he repeated. "And if I fail you, but I made a mistake?"  
"What mistake?"  
"Your failure being the mistake. Me, not passing you, being the mistake."

My frown deepened. What kind of question was that? "Everyone makes mistakes," I murmured. "I guess, it depends on if we learn from them or not."

Shouta-sensei's lips twitched. "And if you did fail this test, would you learn from that and try again, Akani-chan? Or would you try and run from it?"

I tensed. Was he a freaking mind reader? How did he even know about my secret fears? I know I was panicking when I entered, but he couldn't know that I was considering not trying again if I did fail. I opened my mouth, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"You're weird, sensei."  
He laughed heartily, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare me a little. I think he was bipolar.

"I think you'll find, Akani-chan, that the more experience you have, the more eccentric you become."  
I considered that.

Guy, spouting about 'youth' and his tight, _tight_ jumpsuits.

Kakashi with his future pervertedness and unhealthy porn obsession.

Jiraiya and his peeping to write and provide for said porn obsession.

Tsunade's binge drinking.

Well… damn.

"Can I change my mind about becoming a kunoichi?" I deadpanned. "I'd rather not be crazy."  
Shouta-sensei huffed out a laugh and patted my head, deftly wrapping a fabric band around my hair. It was weighty, and smelled new.

My hitai-ate.

I'd passed.

My confusion must have shown on my face, since Shouta-sensei elaborated on why he decided to pass me.

"Although you are young, you are a hard worker. Despite your random bouts of immaturity and lack of self-confidence, you have the potential to become a strong kunoichi who will serve this village well. I saw your fight and consequent make-up with Kasai-kun, so I didn't really have to test your taijutsu. I've often seen you practicing jutsu in your spare time, and combined with the fact you were attacked mere weeks ago by enemy nin, you stood your ground long enough for your fellow classmate to go and get help. You have the qualities of a genin already. It was merely a matter of time."

I was gobsmacked. My own sensei had been spying on me, and I'd never even noticed! Some sensor I was.

"Uh… thank you…?" I squeaked.

Shouta-sensei was apparently sick of my presence since he shoved me towards the door. "Congratulations, Akani-chan. Come back tomorrow morning for team assignments."

The door was closed behind me, and I was left alone in the hallway, fingering the engraved leaf on my metal forehead protector.

I grinned so brightly my cheeks hurt before doing a happy dance.

I didn't care if anyone saw me.

I was a freaking genin now!

Too bad I momentarily forgot about the jonin's test.

My dancing stopped somewhere between a fist-pump and booty-shake.

"Aw, damnit!"

* * *

**Reviews are always welcome! :)**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I find the word 'twas' funny. Don't ask me why, because I'm pretty sure I'm insane...**

**I hate prawns. I'm pretty sure everyone else calls them 'shrimp' though. But yeah... ****_barf_****.**

**I often daydream about being a mad genius. Imagine that. *sigh***

**Something like 90% of the worlds most poisonous snakes live in Australia.**

**Goody.**


	16. Why does the universe hate me?

**GAH!**

**SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! SORRY!**

**This chappy gave me a butt-tonne of grief! I kept on re-writing the team assignments, then I got cranky with it and deleted it and... all in all, this chapter probably sucks, and I apologise in advance, but it could have gone any way at all.**

**I'm happy with how Akani's life is panning out though.**

**What do you guys think? :)**

**Barryium: Aussies stick together like pluggers on a hot road :D For all you 'non Aussies,' PLUGGERS is another name for 'flip flops' or 'thongs' or whatever the heck else you call them.**

**What do you call them?**

* * *

"You wanted to see me?"

"Hai. Have a look at these." Files were slid across a wooden surface. "I want your opinion."  
A brief moment of inspection. "Perfect. Keep them that way."

A nod. "If you're sure."  
"I am."

* * *

I was almost vibrating out of my clothes from nerves mixed with excitement.

After the genin exam the day before, I'd joined with the rest of my graduated classmen for Shouta-sensei's obligatory 'future of Konoha' speech that even he didn't seem interested in. I mean, Obito was too busy making smiles at himself in the reflection of his headband to pay attention to what Shouta-sensei was saying, so it really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise when said sensei simply paused mid-way through his speech and left the room.

No notice, just…

Got bored, noticed no one was paying attention anyways and left.

Shouta-sensei was cool like that.

It felt almost weird to know he was no longer my sensei.

I spent most of the night wondering who I was going to be on a team with, who my sensei might be and how cool it would be to own a demon cat like Tora.

I'd name him 'Cuddles.'

I had slept fitfully, my senses going a little haywire and a few times I thought I felt a brush of foreign chakra against my senses, but it left as fast as it came. I'd decided against wearing my hitai-ate on my forehead due to my sucky knot-tying skills.

I almost suffocated when it slipped down my face and nestled over my mouth and nose on the walk to the Academy for team assignments. I'd tugged and unwrapped the fabric and nestled it against my throat, sighing in relief. I completely ignored the amused glances of the passing Leaf citizens.

My steps held a bit of a strut, and my shoulders were back and my head was held high.

I was a freaking genin now!

Nothing at all could possibly bring me down.

"Your Leaf insignia is upside down."  
I paused midstride, my eyebrow twitching.

Nothing could bring me down, except for…

"Thank you, jerkface," I snapped at the smug young chunin, hastily fingering the engraved metal plate resting at my throat. "And it's not upside down!" I crowed in triumph. I pointed up at Kakashi's face, grinning madly. "And you can't treat me like a kid anymore! I'm a genin now!"  
Kakashi grunted. "That is yet to be seen."  
I blinked in mock confusion. Of course I knew there was going to be a second-ish test, wanting to see how well the team works together. But Kakashi didn't know I knew, so I'd pretend ignorance. "Huh?"

"Oh nothing," he drawled. "I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out on your own, since you're such a _smart cookie_ and all."

I rolled my eyes beneath my sunglasses. "I know you think you're trying to insult me, Kashi-chan, but you're really not."  
"Don't call me that," he snapped.

"What's that?" I asked sarcastically, cupping my ear with a hand. "You don't want me to call you 'Kashi-chan' anymore, Kashi-chan? But… I _like_ calling you Kashi-chan, Kashi-chan!"

It must have been wrong on some level for me to find sick pleasure at hearing his teeth grind, but I couldn't bring myself to care. He was acting like a condescending douche. Ergo, I wanted to piss him off.

It wasn't my fault if he didn't want any teeth by the time he was twenty.

"Step aside, _genin_," he growled. He was obviously on his way to the Hokage tower, no doubt to find out he wasn't Minato's little protégée anymore after today.

I burst out laughing. "Oh man! Really? You're playing the 'my rank is better than your rank' card? Oh, Kashi-chan, I didn't realise you were so pigheaded."

A total lie.

I knew how much of an ass he could be.

"Taking pride in your abilities is not pig-headedness," he retorted.

"It is if you don't accept your weaknesses," I countered casually.

"I'm well aware of my 'weaknesses,'" Kakashi said frostily.

I sighed and turned my back on him, effectively brushing him off. "Sometimes I wonder, Kashi-chan."

"_Don't call me that!_"  
I grinned over my shoulder. "Oh yes, _totally_ in control of your weaknesses. Temper, temper," I chided.

Kakashi did a little huff that totally made him sound like a frustrated child who didn't get their favourite toy for Christmas and sped off, leaving me cackling madly all the way to the Academy. I was nervous, but a large part of me was also excited. My future all started with today.

I just hoped my teammates weren't out for revenge on their 'last' living family member or a squealing fangirl obsessed with said revenge driven teammate.

I paused mid step for a second time. Usually a genin team, excluding the sensei, is made up of two boys and one girl since boys made up the majority of the graduating class in Leaf.

Which meant if anyone was going to be a 'fangirl' it would be me since I was, you know, _female_.

For a moment I mentally had an image of one of the boys in my class squealing like a girl and I burst into fits of laughter. I laughed even harder at the thought of Muta – stoic, calm and silent _Muta_ – acting like a fanboy.

I couldn't breathe from laughing so much as I entered the classroom.

I didn't even notice how silent it was until Shouta-sensei cleared his throat.

I stifled my giggles, though I twitched violently from the effort. I bowed slightly. "G-gomen, Shouta-sensei."

He simply grunted and pointed to a vacant seat next to… Muta.

I almost lost it again.

The Aburame was shifting uncomfortably as I snickered to myself. He was clearly wary and silently questioning my sanity. I didn't really care, since I heard Shouta-sensei say the words 'team announcements' and 'now.'

"- two will be Akani, Muta Aburame and Tokuma Hyuga. Team three-"

I tuned out as I grinned brightly at Muta. "Teammate! Buddy ole pal!" I whisper-yelled, before adding, "Hey. Who the hell is Tokuma?"

If Muta wasn't so composed, he'd probably be facepalming right now. I recognised peoples chakra signatures, but I was horrible with names. I had a feeling that Tokuma was one of the older boys who avoided me like the plague.

I hoped I hadn't insulted him or something in the past.

My presence was often enough incentive for people to avoid me.

"He is the one seated in the furthest third row, second seat in from the aisle," Muta replied.

"Thanks!" I chirped before scanning the room. I paused on my new teammate before groaning. "Aw, what is it with me attracting stoic-y d-bags?" Muta was silent next to me. "Not that _you're a_ stoic-y d-bag, Muta-san!" I retracted, chuckling nervously. I sighed, slumping in my chair. "I'm nervous that I'm gonna screw this up, alright?"

That one sentence held a wealth of fear, but Muta didn't know what I was talking about.

"Typically, a team is composed of individuals that amplify strengths and cover weaknesses. Judging by our current strengths, I believe it is safe to assume we are a tracking and/or scouting team," he reasoned.  
I rested my chin on my hand, elbow firmly on the table in front of me. "Your stoic-y-ness is slipping, Muta-san."

"I apologise. It wasn't my intention to throw off your equilibrium."  
I blinked before turning woodenly towards my newly named teammate. "Did… did you just… make a joke?"

He adjusted his sunglasses, but didn't comment.

I felt a little bereft, like my entire world was just tilted askew and nothing would fix it. I was well aware that I was overreacting but I couldn't help it. Finding out Muta had a sense of humour – however dry and slightly pitiful – was bigger than the time I discovered the difference between salt and sugar.

It turned out I had to _taste_ the grainy stuff before just dumping into a batter while helping my mother cook. My dad had been wary of anything that came from the kitchen in my hands after the Pancake Fiasco.

I collapsed back into my chair. "Well… damn," I breathed. "An Aburame with a sense of humour. I thought I'd seen it all."

"Technically, you can't see at all," a new voice intoned.

I had been so focused on the surprising side of Muta I didn't realise Shouta-sensei had finished with the team announcements and now we were waiting on our jonin sensei's. My grin was tight as I glanced up at Tokuma.

"Wow, haven't heard that one before. You're so smart, you know that?" I chirped scathingly. "What a great way to start team dynamics, ne? Insult the girl who could potentially kick your ass."

"Potentially," Tokuma hummed. He made it sound like an insult but, despite the hostility, he sat on the other side of Muta, giving the Aburame a passing nod which Muta returned somewhat stiffly. I inwardly smirked.

Muta was pissed for me.

A presence bounced up beside me and I greeted my friend with a grin. "Glorious greetings, fellow genin!"  
"Hey Red! Did you hear who I'm on a team with? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Obito asked excitedly.

I scratched my cheek sheepishly. "Um… I kinda tuned Shouta-sensei out after I heard my name. Sorry, Obi."

"I'm with Rin!" He sighed happily. "She's so great."

"Yeah, okay Obi," I conceded. "So, who's the third member?"  
He shrugged. "I dunno. There was an odd number this year so apparently we're with an apprentice of our sensei. I wonder who we're gonna get! Maybe someone with lots of cool scars! Oh! Oh! I know! We're totally gonna be taught by one of the Sannin! _Sweet_!"

I sighed and left the poor boy to his illusions. Minato was pretty strong but as far as I knew, he was so good he didn't have any visible scars.

Such a pretty boy, I inwardly snickered.

I flared my chakra and felt a bunch of high levels flicker into existence just outside the classroom. I didn't pay attention to the signatures, since I wanted my sensei to be a surprise just in case I knew them. I perked up. "Look alive, kiddies," I teased. "It's show time."  
I ignored Tokuma's curious glance and fixated on the door.

It slowly opened and in stepped Minato, a bright grin on his face followed by a sullen, silent Kakashi. A few of the girls in class sighed happily, and I was slightly dismayed to find that Rin was a part of that category, though not as bad as the others.

I leapt onto my desk, waving at the blonde enthusiastically. "Mini-nii-san! Look!" I pointed at my headband. "I totally passed!"  
He chuckled, somewhat embarrassed by the nickname. "Congratulations, Akani-chan. I had no doubt."  
"Don't feed the animals," Kakashi grumbled before being silenced by a look from his sensei.

I rolled my eyes and grinned, mollified. It was Kakashi's way of saying 'don't feed Akani's ego.'

"Team Seven," Minato announced with a smile. "Follow me."

Obito leapt to his feet with a whoop before darting towards the door, only stopping to drag Rin out with him. The newly formed team left and I sighed, sitting down on my desk and swinging my legs idly. I wrinkled my nose at the excited girly whispers from the potential kunoichi's, gushing over Kakashi. Honestly, if they knew how much of a dick he could be, they'd stop liking him. Unless they, you know, had brain damage or something.

"So, teamies, how about we get to know each other a bit more?" I asked.

"We should wait for our sensei," Tokuma droned.

I rolled my eyes. "Wow, you really live life to the fullest, don't you?"

"It is polite decorum, Akani-san," Muta added.

"Not you too!" I whined. "I'm trying to be inclusive, here."  
"Such a child," my stoic-y d-bag of a teammate sniffed.

I grit my teeth. "I'm not the one who spends an hour on his pretty hair, Tokuma-_hime_."

I felt his chakra become agitated and I mentally pat my back for a job well done, even though I was secretly jealous. It looked so much silkier than mine. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to rile up my teammate who I barely knew and could kill me by simply touching my tenketsu but seeing how rigid and unmovable he was made me want to shake him up, if just to get a response.

I was proud to see it was working.

Another stick to be removed from a rectum.

It was sad that I was beginning to keep a list.

The door opened and all eyes were trained to the new presence.

I felt myself go pale and I almost slipped off the desk. "Oh Kami, no. Anyone but you!" I cried. The Hokage was a sadistic a-hole. And freaking stupid!

I made a note to give him a piece of my mind soon.

Kushina grinned maliciously. "Team Two. Follow me, -ttebane."

Yup.

I was going to die.

* * *

"So," Kushina said a little too happily as she led us to the middle of the training field. I didn't recognise the area. "Let's all begin with introductions, shall we? Likes, dislikes, what you want for the future… that kind of thing. I'll go first. My name is Kushina Uzumaki, but you can call me Kushina-sensei or Kushina-sama-" she ignored my snort, "-and I like dango and salt ramen, -ttebane! I don't like annoying little brats who don't know the proper decorum-" insert acidic glare in my blissfully ignorant direction, "-and my dream for the future is to see you three become splendid ninja."  
Her last admission made my stomach churn since she wouldn't live long enough to see me become a teenager. I could list a page-length of pros and cons about Kushina being my sensei, but I had to trust that the Hokage knew what he was doing. I couldn't recall anything being said or mentioned about Kushina being a sensei, but that didn't necessarily mean she wasn't one or wasn't offered the position to become one.

She was a strong kunoichi, and a jinchuriki to boot.

In this instance, she kinda reminded me of Killer B when he got his own little troupe.

"Okay, the kid with the fabulous hair. You're up," Kushina commented, pointing to Tokuma. I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop from laughing out loud. The Hyuga ignored me, but obliged.

"My name is Tokuma Hyuga. I like my clan, practicing taijutsu and refining my dojutsu. I dislike uncouth behaviour-" again, insert glare in my direction, "-and my dream is to represent my clan and my village by becoming a great shinobi."

Kushina grunted and jerked her head towards Muta.

"My name is Muta Aburame. I like learning my clan techniques and discovering new species of insects. I dislike ignorance and my dream for the future is to discover a new species of worm."

I sighed. "My turn?" I asked uselessly. Kushina rolled her eyes as I grinned, my mood changing faster than Kushina's when around Minato and Jiraiya simultaneously. "My name's Akani. I like dango, training with a certain youthful friend, eating dango with a certain airheaded Uchiha, practicing control with my medically inclined feminine counterpart, getting a certain ero-baka in trouble for peeping and fuinjutsu with a crazy lady. I dislike being underestimated, chunin assholes that don't know what's good for them-" cue Kushina's muffled snort, "-and being judged before anyone knows me and my dream for the future…" _Is to protect everyone, to make sure the world doesn't end in fire, to change everything_, "… my dream for the future is to live."

Slightly morbid, but not unnecessary in the line of work I'd signed up for. Living was always good. It meant you were doing something right.

"Right," Kushina drawled before clapping excitedly. "Well! Let's get down to your test, ne?"

"We have already passed the genin test, Kushina-sensei," Tokuma pointed out.

"Hai, hai," she answered airily, "But that was the _Academy's_ test. This is _my_ test, and if you fail, I hold the power to send you back to the Academy."

Surprisingly, I was the only one to keep calm. Tokuma silently fumed, and Muta… he didn't show anything on the outside, but he tensed and his chakra became agitated from a mix of shock and disbelief.

I scratched my nose. "Ne, just get to the point, _sensei_."

The older Uzumaki frowned in my direction. "I was getting to that, _brat_. Now, your test is simple. All you have to do is… find me!"  
All us three genin blinked in unison. "Find you? That's it?"  
"Yup!" she smiled. "It's a hypothetical situation. I'm an enemy nin who's infiltrated the village and you need to find me and restrain me. Given, I won't make it easy on you. You have until one pm to find me, but beware, it will be difficult. The first two to find me will become genin."  
"And the last?" Muta asked.

Kushina's grin was a little too broad. "Will go back to the Academy. This is the perfect chance to see if eyes, bugs or sense are the best of the best."  
Ooh, clever, I thought. Playing on our pride.  
And damnit, it was working!

"Alright, kiddies! See two of you soon!" She winked before disappearing in a puff of smoke, stunning me.

"We were talking to a shadow clone this whole time?" I cried, gripping my hair. "How did I not notice that!"

"Because your sensory perception is second best to the Byakugan," Tokuma inserted haughtily.

I ground my teeth. "Thanks, Tokuma-hime, but that question was rhetorical. And you didn't notice it either since your fancy eyes were turned off!"  
"Do you even know what 'rhetorical' means?"  
I growled, taking a step towards him. "I wasn't the youngest in class to pass for nothing, asshole."  
"We should not fight and waste time," Muta interrupted. "The logical choice is to fan out and find sensei on our own. I wish you both luck in your endeavours."

He was about to flicker out when I stopped him. "Wait!"

Thankfully, he did.

"I think we should work together," I said.

"Are you deaf as well as blind?" Tokuma asked. "Sensei said the first two to find her will become genin, and I have no intention of shaming my clan."  
"You're doing a damn good job of shaming yourself by letting your Hyuga-ness slip, jerk," I snapped. "You may take pride in your eyes, but you're blind in this instance."  
Before he could retort, Muta stepped in. "How so?"  
I calmed, breathing a little more easily, thankful there was one level head on this team. "Simple. Have you ever heard of a two genin team? No. There is always three, plus a sensei. Excluding apprentices, of course."

"An exception," Tokuma brushed off.

"No. _Not_ an exception. This is to test _teamwork_. Kushina-sensei is wily, and she wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't make it easy on us." I grimaced as all the near-death experiences from my personal training flashed before my eyes. "Trust me on that."  
"You know sensei?" Muta asked.

I nodded. I hadn't told him who my sensei was, although he knew I was receiving training outside of the Academy. "She's my fuinjutsu teacher, which is why she can be tricky. I know how she works. She's a sadist, I swear to Kami. But between the three of us, we can find her." I could tell I hadn't convinced either of them. I sighed. "Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll hang back and let you both reach her first."  
"Akani-" Muta began.  
I waved him off with a grin. "Nah, don't worry about it, Muta-san. As I said, I'm the youngest in class so I can handle another year or whatever in school. So… you two in?"  
A lengthy silence, until Tokuma said "Fine. Don't go back on your word."  
I nodded, serious. "No problem."  
"What would you suggest?" Muta asked me.  
"Well, I know her usual haunts like the back of my hand, but I have no doubt she's trapped the village with a few minor seals rigged to our chakra signatures. With Tokuma-hime's eyes he can see through genjutsu that cover them. Your bugs, Muta-san, can fan out in search of sensei's signature. I'm guessing you tried to latch one on her when she mentioned the test?"  
He nodded. "Yes, but she dispersed the clone before I could gather that she was as such."  
"Right. Well, tag both me and Tokuma so you know where we are, in case sensei tries to make clones of us to trick us or something." He nodded, two small black beetles drifting out from his collar to crawl onto Tokuma and I.

It's little wings tickled, and it was hard to keep a straight face.  
"And what about you, Akani-san?" Tokuma sneered. "Don't think you can simply sit back and let Muta-san and I do the hard work."  
My eyebrow twitched as I slipped down into a seated lotus position. "No, jerk, I'm going to see if I can find her the good ole fashioned way. Now shut up, I need to focus my scan." I closed my eyes unnecessarily, but the motion helped me concentrate.  
"You can scan the village?" Tokuma asked sceptically. "The diameter of the village has to be at least-"

"What part of 'shut up' are you having troubles with, Tokuma-hime?" I snapped.

Thankfully, he silenced himself, though he bristled in said silence. I ignored him, shutting down my echolocation so I could focus on sending out feelers of chakra.

The entire expanse of black all around me glittered blue, some suppressed, some underdeveloped, but each unique and a mixture of emotion.

I stretched my senses further, careful to control my breathing. I hadn't stretch my range so far in a long time, and I couldn't afford to pass out from exhaustion here so I thinned the blanket of chakra and focused on finding the brightest blue that hummed like mine.

After a few moments, I spotted Kushina on the other side of the village… in the newly opened Ichiraku ramen stand.

I scoffed, coming back to the land of the living. I stood and dusted off my pants, stumbling a little. Muta snatched my arm to steady me and I gave him a thankful smile. "Found her. She's at that new ramen stand."

"How… underwhelming," Muta intoned.

I shrugged. "It's Kushina-sensei," I stated, as if that explained everything.

Which, it kinda did.

"Right. Let's go then," Tokuma demanded, taking off towards the centre of the village at a fast clip. Muta followed silently and I was left catching up with a sigh.

"Boys."

* * *

"She's not here."  
"I see that, Princess. Just calm down."  
"Don't call me Princess, and don't tell me to calm down. I am the epitome of calm."  
I eyed Tokuma, taking careful note of his buzzing blue. "A-huh," I drawled. "Right, well, let me search again and then we can-"

"No," Tokuma interrupted. "It is clear your method is flawed. You must have had her chakra confused with another's."  
"I did not! She probably left in the time it took for us to get here!" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. "Kami, you were so slow! I got here before you and you had a head start! Did you stop to check out your reflection in the windows or something?"  
"Why you-"

"E-excuse me?"

Tokuma and I whirled on the hapless ramen chef. "What?!" we growled in unison.

He waved his hands in a nonthreatening manner, one hand clutched around a spatula. "Y-you are looking for that young red headed woman, yes?"  
I calmed before nodding. "Do you know which way she went?"

"O-oh. No, I didn't really notice since the stand became quite busy but Kami, I've never seen someone eat so much salt ramen in my life! She's going to be an amazing customer," he sighed dreamily with dollar signs in his eyes.

Tokuma simply stared before turning on his heel and leaving the booth, not even bothering to wait for me and Muta to catch up. I sighed, turning towards the chef.

I bowed a little. "Arigato, chef-san."  
"O-oh. No problem!"

I waved a quick goodbye before venturing out onto the street, following Muta and Tokuma's signatures in the spot to my left. I caught up quickly. "Thanks for waiting, a-holes."

"You were too slow," Tokuma grunted. "And such unladylike mannerisms," he chided scathingly.

"I ain't a lady," I snapped.

"How true," Muta murmured. I was about to whirl on him when he continued. "You are still yet an adolescent and have not gone through the human motions of puberty. By social means, you are indeed _not_ a lady."  
I opened my mouth. Then closed it. I sighed. "Whatever."

And _I'm_ social inept? I mentally scoffed.

A whispered 'Byakugan' drew my attention to Tokuma gradually pulling away from Muta and I. "See anything, Princess?"

I checked a smirk when I saw the Hyuga twitch. "I have spotted sensei by a small dango stand. Come. We have to hurry before she leaves." He took off without another word, leaving us to catch up to him.

Again.

I wasn't liking this pattern.

* * *

"She isn't here."  
"I know."  
"Let me reiterate. _She isn't here_."

Tokuma ground his teeth. "I _know_."

"Well?" I snapped. "Anyone got any more bright ideas? Muta, you've been sending out scouting beetles, right?" He nodded. "Any news?" He shook his head. I sighed, running my hand through my hair. I vaguely noted how long it was getting. I probably needed to start braiding it soon. "Great. Not only is sensei two steps ahead of us, we only have about an hour before our deadline."  
"Is there anywhere else she might have gone?" Muta reasoned.

I shrugged helplessly. "She doesn't really do much else, and I already sent out a search of her apartment when we passed it and she wasn't there. I'm a little concerned how we haven't run into any traps yet, though."  
"You think she is planning something?" he asked.

Again, I shrugged.

"Useless," Tokuma scoffed.

I whirled on him, officially at the end of my rope. "Dude! What is your problem? We need to act like a team if we're going to find her and so far your attitude isn't helping matters!"  
"_My_ attitude? I am not the one currently yelling in the middle of the market square."  
"So what? You're pissing me off! When this test is over with, I'm beating your face in, ya jerk!"  
"Says the Academy student to the genin."

"That has yet to be seen, Princess."  
Tokuma's stance turned frosty and slightly defensive. "You gave us your word that you would not go back on your promise to let Muta-san and I graduate."  
"And you believed me?" I scowled. "What if I was an enemy? You think a few meagre words would stop me from killing you if I got the chance? Don't be naïve!"

"Are you threatening me?" Tokuma snarled.

I tugged at my already mussed hair. "No! It was hypothetical! Like this whole test is, you idiot! I won't go back on my word, but until this test is over we have to get along! But you're making it pretty freaking difficult right now!"

"A shinobi must keep their emotions in check," Tokuma remarked.

It felt like a bucket of cold water drenched me. Kami, he sounded just like Kakashi. Robotic, emotionless and automatic. But, in this situation, he was right. I was yelling at my teammate in the middle of the village with gawkers in every direction but Tokuma had – somewhat – kept a level head. And we were slowly running out of time to find our sensei.

Muta was silent, and no doubt still doing his job by searching for sensei with his kikaichu.

I felt awashed with guilt and shame. I was too emotional for my own good, and although that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, this situation was simply highlighting my faults and I didn't like it.

It was clear that I couldn't quite play well with others, but hopefully that would come with time. The thought of having to spend _more_ time with the Hyuga-prissy-pants almost made me groan, but I didn't.

I calmed myself, my face becoming carefully blank as I stared at Tokuma. "You are correct, Tokuma-san. I apologise for letting my emotions run away with me. This whole situation has me on edge but I promise to perform better to be a productive member of this team." My gaze shifted over towards Muta. "And sorry, Muta-san, for not asking for your input."  
Muta was silent for a moment, but he inclined his head just so. He accepted my apology. "I have found sensei. She is in the training field she met us in."  
I blinked, glancing towards Tokuma as the air became uncomfortably awkward. "Oh. R-right. Well, lead… the way?"

Muta simply nodded and leapt off, followed by Tokuma and I.

I had a lot to think about when this was over.

* * *

My hands shot out to stop Muta and Tokuma from venturing too far towards the field. Tokuma whipped towards me, opening his mouth to give me a reaming when I silenced him with a glare. "Use those eyes you're so proud of and tell me what you see."  
He twitched, but did as he was asked. The veins around his eyes bulged with coursing chakra and his enhanced eyesight scanned the field. He paused on a certain spot not three feet away from us.

"A trap," he murmured.

I nodded. "A barrier seal. She's probably booby-trapped this whole field. While we were on a wild goose chase, she's had hours to set up these little beauties."

"Can you deactivate them?" Muta asked from my other side.

"I could, but we don't have time. It's a basic octagonal barrier seal which means there's seven more of these babies placed about the field. Once we cross, the barrier will activate and lock us in. It will keep us from getting _out_ but not from things such as ninjutsu or weapons from the creator from reaching _in_. It's a fairly flexible barrier in that way."

"And if Kushina-sensei is on a different side of the barrier to us we would be sitting ducks," Tokuma mused.

"So… we need to get her inside the barrier with us?" I asked, pondering. "Could work. I'm pretty sure the barrier works even on the caster."  
"_Pretty _sure?" Tokuma asked, slightly bewildered. "This is no time for second guesses."  
"And no time to waste on stupid questions," I snapped back.

"We spring the trap."  
Tokuma and I faced Muta with differing reactions.

"Eh? Are you freaking _nuts_?"  
"Explain, Muta-san."  
"She is expecting us to run headlong into this trap, but we already know about it thanks to Akani-san's fuinjutsu knowledge. We meet in the middle, but first we set off traps of our own outside the barrier to draw Kushina-sensei in with us."  
I thought about it, nodding slowly. "Could work. I think the only thing that will really get Kushina-sensei moving is explosions. I love me a good toasty fire!" I sang, reaching down into my weapons pouch. I withdrew a roll of explosive tags. "Custom made, gentlemen. Be sure to tell your friends about the tag with the extra _pop_," I chuckled.

"Are you mentally retarded?"  
I glared at Tokuma who looked slightly concerned. Whether for my mental wellbeing or his own, I didn't know. "Shouta-sensei said the more stuff a shinobi sees, the more eccentric they become. Ergo, I'm _eccentric_, not retarded."  
"You're seven. What could you possibly have experience to make you 'eccentric?'" the Hyuga snapped.

_Damp floor, piercing needles, drip, drip, drip… manic and pleased laughter as my Mother was drawn away from me, her battle cries drowned out by fire and wrath… countless voices raised in a cacophony of pain as they screamed at me, telling me that I wasn't going to make a difference… _I shook my head, my face somewhat stony. "Nothing," I lied. "So, we good for the explosions?"

There was a slight hesitant silence until Muta nodded, "Yes."

"Good!" I peeped, my mood brightening. "So, take a few and keep just behind the tree line but make sure you're seen by her at least once. That way she'll be curious to see what we're doing and will move spots to get a closer look. We'll be able to work out her movements and plan accordingly. Muta-san, take the northeast side by the river. Princess, take the west by the large oaks and keep your eyes on. I'll cover the south. If we come into contact with sensei, flare your chakra and we'll come to assist. Sound good?"  
Tokuma twitched a little, obviously not wanting to follow my lead, but since Muta agreed, he did so as well.

I grinned brightly at my teammates. "See you on the flip side!" I dashed into the trees, heading towards the southern side of the barrier. My chakra was suppressed but I kept my senses open. Slapping the tags on trees as I went, I counted passing three of the necessary seals for the octagonal barrier and thought I went far enough. I was about to sit down on a large branch when a flare of bright blue made me snap my head towards the northwest. Tokuma.

He was engaging sensei.

I cursed colourfully under my breath. I was on the other side of the barrier and it would take me too long to get to him. I could sense Muta not far from where I was.

It was either take the long way around or go straight through the training grounds where the barrier seal was, hoping Kushina was too busy fighting my teammate to pay attention to her trap.

I bit my lip.

_Ah, screw it_. _It's just a stupid test._

I pumped chakra into my legs and leapt clear of the tree line, landing nimbly on my feet. They'd barely found purchase on the gravel when I was rocketing forward towards Tokuma. I could sense Muta a few paced behind me.

"Is your kikaichu picking anything up?" I asked him quietly, slapping my hand down to clear a large boulder in my way. The opposite tree line was in view. _Almost there_.

"No. The kikaichu with Tokuma-san isn't responding to my calls." His voice sounded slightly pained, and I couldn't blame him. If a kikaichu didn't respond to its master, it usually meant the poor little guy was dead.

Or, girl in this case. Females were the only ones Muta's hive could track.

"I'm sure Bugsy is fi-"

A whistle, followed by a hissing thud landed a few feet in front of us. My eyes widened and I skidded to a stop, gripping onto Muta as he almost shot past me. "Tag!" I yelled, shoving him back the way we came. We managed to get all of five steps before the thing exploded. Me, being closer, was sent flying off my feet and despite the ringing in my ears and the heat singing my back, all I could think was _Thank Kami Kushina-sensei didn't bring her customs._ It was a small explosion, but it was enough to stun me for a few precious seconds, and enough for Kushina-sensei to bodily toss Tokuma through the newly formed octagonal barrier.

He somewhat sticked the landing. She threw him hard.

Muta was beside me, helping me stand. I offered him a wry grin. "Thanks." I took a deep inhale to calm myself before pausing. "Damnit, Kushina-sensei! Now I smell like burnt hair!"

Her laughter echoed through the clearing. I grit my teeth.

All three of us were stuck in the barrier.

Kushina-sensei was outside of the barrier.

"Well, we're boned," I sighed, slumping my shoulders.

"So what? You're just gonna give up?" Tokuma snarled, still amazingly dust-free despite having rolled in it not moments ago.

I shook my head. "I didn't say that. I just said we're screwed, but if that's the case, might as well go out with style, ne?"

"There has to be a way," Muta stated.

Again, I shook my head. "She's got us right where she wants us. We can't get out, and she certainly isn't coming in. She'd gonna wait it out until our time is up, or if she's feeling the urge, she could try and whip us with her chakra chains. It's actually not as fun as it sounds."  
"How perverse," the Hyuga sniffed.

I shrugged with a grin. "What can I say? I take the occasional lesson from a super-pervert." A light bulb pinged. "That's it!"

I ignored my teammates curiosity and turned to where I could sense Kushina sitting down… filing her nails. I twitched, but didn't let it bother me.

Much.

"Oi! Kushina-sensei!"  
"Yes?" she drawled.

"Jiraiya said that birthmark on your butt makes you look cute and innocent." Tokuma sputtered behind me and Kushina stopped filing her nails. I continued. "Yeah. Minato-san agreed with him too. I know I wasn't supposed to say anything or tell them when you usually visit the hot springs, but they paid me so-"

"_You're dead, brat!_" Kushina roared, leaping through her barrier towards me.

"Ha! It worked!" I crowed, before realising there was a very irate redhead bearing down on me in particular.

I screamed like a girl.

And I ran for my life.

"Scatter!" I called over my shoulder.

Tokuma and Muta didn't have to be told twice. Kushina's chakra chains burst from her wrists to whip down mercilessly on the spot we were just vacating. Chunks of rock and soil exploded into the air and I began to regret making myself a target.

Especially when a chain wrapped around my ankle and yanked.

I landed on my front with an 'oof,' the air leaving my lungs in a rush. And I was quickly being dragged back towards my sensei.

I panicked, channelling earth chakra into my hands and clamped my fingers down, burrowing them into the dirt. It slowed my momentum, but Kushina was incredibly strong and tenacious when riled.

And right now, she was beyond pissed.

Her chains strained a little, trying to dislodge me and my arms were becoming sore really quick. Just as I was about to let go, Tokuma jumped into the fray, his fingers alight with his piercing chakra. He slashed as Kushina's chains and they broke mid-link, releasing me as her chakra dissipated in the air in a flash of golden blue.

I sighed with relief, picking myself up out of the dirt. My tummy hurt, but not from lack of food. I probably had a nice rash and grass stains on me.

Goody.

Muta tried to blindside the redhead, causing her to leap back towards the boulder that marked the centre of the clearing. I smiled, and whispered 'Kai.'

The seal I slapped on when I jumped over the rock flared to life and lit the space in a spine tingling blue. Kushina, being closest, was immediately suspended from moving for three seconds.

"Coat her, Muta-san!" I yelled.

A mass of writhing kikaichu shot out towards sensei and quickly formed a ring around her, buzzing angrily and ready at a moments notice to attack and drain Kushina's chakra. A slightly useless endeavour, seeing as she had a secondary furry source of chakra, but the action meant a lot.

Kushina stopped struggling and smiled brightly at us all. "So. You caught me. Who's going back to the Academy?"

I stepped forward with a small smile. "Me."

"No. I am."  
I blinked towards Tokuma. "Eh? Dude. I thought we agreed that _I _was going back! You can't just steal my self-sacrifice like that! Totally uncool!"  
"Just… be quiet," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "_You_ were the one who set the seal and bade enough time for Muta-san to finish the capture. I did not do anything productive besides get caught."

"Not true!" I protested. "You saved my butt from being mauled by the rabid she-wolf there," I added, hiking my thumb towards a still smiling – albeit, now also twitching – Kushina. "That's badass, Princess. I'm younger, so I'm all good. Besides, you're old. Like, _really_ old, so you can pass."  
Tokuma's jaw spasmed. "I am only a year older than you, Akani-san," he bit out.

"See? Old."

"I shall go," Muta interrupted. "I believe I can benefit from another year of educations despite my clan's protests."

I slapped my forehead, exasperated. "_Hello!_ Orphan, here! You two are clannies and have a lot riding on this. Don't be little sacrificial lambs and disappoint your families because I don't have one to disappoint."

"I… didn't know you were an orphan," Tokuma muttered.

I stiffened. "Yeah? So what?"

He didn't reply, only turned his face away. I sighed, rubbing my face. Why did I suddenly feel so tired? "Look, I won't break my promise. You and Muta-san can graduate and I'll hang out with Shouta-sensei for another year."  
"That won't be necessary!" Kushina chirped, now free from her buggy bind. "You all pass!"

All three of us blinked, but I summed out our collective thought. "What?"

"You three are diamonds in the rough, my cute little genin!" she crowed, clapping her hands happily. "Team Two is now official! Meet at the Hokage tower tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred for some missions and training! Sayonara!"

Kushina went to stroll of when I stopped her. "Wait! Aren't you gonna tell us what we did wrong?"  
She glanced over her shoulder, confused. "Why would I do that?"  
"I… I dunno," I shrugged helplessly. "Character building? Work on our weaknesses? Team bonding time? Work with me here!"

"Aw, bratling, you three are smart. I'll leave it up to you each to say what you think are your strengths and weaknesses… tomorrow. Think about them long and hard tonight, and be brutally honest. A team has no secrets! We need to trust each other implicitly. See you three tomorrow!"

She flickered away in a spray of leaves and I was left feeling ill. Trust? No secrets? But… for me, that was impossible.

I smiled brokenly at my teammates who had already turned to leave, going towards their respective clan compounds.

I was left alone in the middle of the training grounds, fretting over what to do. I wasn't comfortable telling my team _everything_, even though Kushina knew a large part of it. Maybe that's why she was designated as my sensei. She knew that, sometime down the track, I was going to have hang-ups about what happened to me a few years ago.

I just prayed that I could come up with a suitable excuse not to say anything about the darker parts of my life to my new incredibly perceptive teammates.

And I prayed that they let it be, for the time being.

I groaned, beginning the trudge home.

Tomorrow was going to suck.

* * *

**Review if you wanna :)**

**You know... no pressure... or whatevs... :S**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**My daughter was a belated birthday present for me :) she was born 20 days after my birthday.**

**I was ****_so_**** pro-Pluto being a planet. I miss Pluto.**

**Tomatoes were originally thought to be poisonous. Because of its high acidic content, and the main metal used for plates and cutlery being LEAD, people often became sick with lead poisoning, which was why people became confused about the ripe, red fruit being dangerous.**


	17. Painful admissions and self realization

**I know this chappy is short and I'm sorry about that, but the next chappy will ****_contain_**** a timeskip. I'll be sure to mention D-ranks and fights within Team Two but I thought I'd better speed this story up a bit.**

**Anyways, sorry it's so short!**

**My mind has been occupied as of late.**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

Trudging through the village was quickly becoming second nature. Whenever I had something on my mind, I wandered.

And when I wanted to forget, I trained. Hard.

Kushina being placed as my sensei was an incredibly bad idea. She was an Uzumaki and so was I – at least, distantly. She had been kidnapped by Kumo as a child simply because of her unique chakra, and if anyone was able to make the connection between me and her, well… it wouldn't be good.

I didn't want to be locked in another cell.

I was relieved I had Muta on my team. He was level headed and wasn't afraid to tell me when I was being an idiot through dry silence, even though I knew I hurt him by ignoring him for the last few months. A seed of guilt had started to grow in my gut at the thought.

Tokuma…

Well, Tokuma was a prissy princess in my book. He gave off strong vibes that he didn't like me, but to be honest I loved it. Another person to annoy and break out of his shell. Maybe teach him to live a little, too. His stick wasn't shoved as far up his ass as Kakashi's, but it was still pretty bad. I knew his clan specialised in taijutsu so he would be fun to fight against since his clan style is more flexible than Guy's Strong Fist.

I froze midstep, grimacing as I braced for impact.

Speaking of Guy…

"_Akani-chan!_"

A blur crushed me into a giant bear hug, tears wetting my shoulder. "Hey Guy," I greeted dully. He didn't notice. Or at least, he didn't pay it any attention as he cried tears of joy.

"Oh, Akani-chan! Your youthfulness shines like the sun! You are now officially a genin of Konoha!"  
I managed to wiggle my arms free of his embrace and shoved him off, clenching my fists at the tear stains joining the grass and dirt on my shirt. "Yeah. Wait, how did you know I passed?"  
"I did not, but I never had any doubt!" he crowed.

I was oddly touched. He hadn't expected me to fail since he had faith that I would pass. It was – dare I say it – sweet. "Thank you," I murmured with a smile.

He gave me a thumbs up. "You are most welcome! Come! I was just about to go on a youthful jog around the village. Would you care to join me?"  
I was about to decline when I realised that I still had a lot on my mind and I needed to clear my head, if just for a little while. I gave him a tight nod and started at a slow, steady pace next to him. Guy, despite his loud, youthful nature, was perceptive when it came to things that mattered so he was silent as he jogged next to me. People underestimated him, just like they did with me.

To be honest, the prospect of opening up to my teammates tomorrow was making me panic a little.

No one, not even Kakashi, knew about my past.

Kakashi might have met me while I was in hospital, but the 'why' was undoubtedly classified. After all, just because I couldn't mold the Mokuton didn't mean my genes didn't hold the potential. If that became public knowledge, I wouldn't have much say in my future.

I didn't really have much of a say now, but at least I had a _little_ bit of leniency. I was now a normal genin of Konoha. The Sandaime had gotten to me before Danzo had, and I'd forever be grateful for that.

I wasn't stupid enough to think that this world at this point in time didn't need people like Danzo, but his methods left much to be desired. He did the dirty stuff on the down low while the Hokage saved face by being the symbol of the Leaf, a strong village with loyal ties and even more loyal ninja.

Quite frankly, Danzo was a necessity at this point in time. It all went downhill when he chose to side with Hanzo of Rain and kill off the Uchiha, but you couldn't deny the guy was a pro at manipulation. Wrong on so many levels, but he was good.

Which was why I was expecting him to come after me in the near future. After all, I had Uzumaki and Senju DNA, as well as skilled knowledge of fuinjutsu and had close ties to the jinchuriki of the nine-tails.

I was a useful pawn, and Danzo was a collector.

He collected favours and loyal minions and wasn't afraid to play dirty to get what he wanted. He's probably done his research on me, finding out from Orochi-fuck face that I was originally from Kiri and he'd try to use that against me.

The Bloody Mist's reputation was going to gain steam in the next few years. It was already corrupt, what with most of the Seven Swordsman turning rogue and murder frequent since there were double dealings going on all the time. He'd use that against me.

Or at least, he'd try to.

I'd already planned for most of that.

I didn't leave home without a contingency plan, just in case.

Guy and I sped up, or at least, I tried to. He was older and had been training obsessively on his stamina longer than I had been, so of course my lungs were starting to burn.

I had energy, sure, but I _had_ just gone on a half-day long wild goose chase without eating lunch and narrowly missed getting eaten alive by Kushina.

I almost stumbled as I realised I hadn't deactivated the exploding tags.

… meh. I'd do it later.

I slowed my jog down until I was walking, a slight frown on my face. Guy noticed and double backed, jogging on the spot next to me.

"Is everything alright, Akani-chan?" he asked quietly.

I gave him a small, wobbly smile. Not really, since I _really _didn't want _any_ interaction with Danzo, but… "Yeah. Wanna spar a little?"

I needed to not think for a little while.

His grin was answer enough.

* * *

By the time I got back to my apartment I was sure I was half dead. I was covered in bruises, bumps, dirt and grass stains. Basically, my clothes were ruined. My hand fumbled a little in my pocket for my keys. I searched.

And searched.

And came up empty.

I groaned and thunked my head against my front door. A warm shower and soft bed was only a few metres away, out of my reach. I didn't want to break in since I didn't have any spare money to pay for a replacement window and the elderly landlord was probably asleep by this time. Sure, I was ninja but I was half asleep and tired. Ergo, useless.

With a heavy sigh I turned my back on my apartment and dragged my feet towards Kushina-sensei's apartment. I'd just reached a crossroad when I realised that Kushina probably still wanted my blood for the stunt I pulled at the training grounds.

I shuddered.

I did _not_ want to try and fend for myself while in this state. I didn't need to be hospitalised. I needed food, a shower and sleep. Glorious sleep.

I was almost salivating at the thought.

I made a quick secondary decision, turning right instead of left like I normally would to go to Kushina's. My destination was technically closer than Kushina's but resided in the opposite direction to where I normally went.

I trudged up the stairs and down the hallway of the small apartment building, knocking on the door that hid a familiar chakra signature behind it. I knocked lazily, almost falling asleep where I stood.

The door opened and I gave a wave in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi demanded.

"I lost my keys to my apartment so I was wondering if-"

"No."

The door was promptly slammed in my face. I sighed and knocked again.

Nothing.

I rapped a sharp rhythm on the wood.

Again, nothing.

I sighed once more. Honestly, this kid…

I knocked again, only this time I didn't stop. I allowed a cocky smirk as I registered his chakra becoming agitated inside, as well as a number of his neighbours that were still up and about. Not my problem since I didn't live here.

I stopped, hearing him sigh with relief. I chuckled evilly and started knocking again, adding a little chakra to make the sound really obnoxious and jarring.

I almost punched Kakashi in the nose as he nearly ripped the door off his hinges and dragged me inside by the collar of my shirt. I stumbled and he closed the door behind me.

"About time, jerk," I grumbled, making my way towards his small dresser. Without further ado, I began to rummage around and took out a pair of shorts and a shirt. I was tiny, so they'd fit. I'd stolen a few of his clothes when I was living with him and Sakumo since training tended to get rough and I never looked after my clothes.

Blindness didn't exactly equate to good repair skills.

"Remind me again why you are here?" he snapped.

I shrugged. "Lost my keys, haven't got enough to pay for a new window or lock and Kushina-sensei probably still wants to kill me so you were the next best thing." He opened his mouth to retort when I cut him off. "And I suppose, if you insist, I'll take the bed."

"T-that's not going to happen!" he spluttered.

I grinned at him and made my way towards the small bathroom that was really just a shower cramped next to a toilet. Kakashi didn't want to live with anyone else after his father died, preferring the solitude and safety of his own little environment. Probably because here, everything was in control. Here was safe when everything else seemed such a mess.

I could relate.

My shoebox apartment was quickly becoming my safe place, too.

I quickly showered, hissing a little as the hot water stung a few grazes and cuts that were already healing. As predicted, Kakashi's clothing swam on me, though since he was rather lithe at this age they weren't too bad.

I gathered my things and exited the shower stall, making my way towards the bed when Kakashi's growl stopped me.

I grinned. That didn't take too long. A full second quicker reaction time than I predicted. I hadn't expected him to give up his bed. I just wanted to push his buttons.

For a moment I thought he was going to make me sleep on the floor with nothing but a blanket, but my tummy twisted in a funny way when I saw the foldable futon laid out on the opposite side of his apartment, furthest away from him.

It was times like this that I realised there was still hope for the ass.

Said tummy gurgled and I had the decency to blush.

Kakashi sighed. "You and your demon stomach."  
"Oi! I've been working hard today you know," I pouted.

"Oh, yes. Because you and 'hard work' go hand in hand," he said sarcastically.

I scowled. "Shut up, genius." I tried really hard to make it sound like an insult, like how Kakashi could, but I failed. Miserably.

Kakashi huffed out a laugh.

My tummy rolled again. I whimpered, wrapping my arms around my torso. "Kashi-chan," I whined.

The chunin slumped his shoulders. He knew my tone. It was my 'give me food and I will gladly shut up' tone. He opened a tiny refrigerator and withdrew a couple of onigiri, handing them to me in a firm yet gentle manner. He wouldn't want rice on his carpet, would he?

I happily devoured them as Kakashi watched on in slight disgust. "How can you eat like that?" he asked, bewildered.

I polished off the last grain of rice, patting my slightly satisfied stomach and grinned at him. "Because I'm awesome, that's why."

"Did you even breathe in between bites?"  
I shrugged. "Probably not."

"… You're weird."  
"Yup."

"And annoying."  
"Yup."

"And you'll be gone just after dawn?"  
"Yup."

He nodded. "Good."  
And with that, I climbed into the futon, utterly exhausted.

I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

* * *

The colours were amazing. That was the first thought that flitted through my mind.

The second was _I'm freaking blind!_ But yet, I was seeing colour.

The green grass, blue sky, white clouds, brown dirt, yellow sun. It was all bright and cheery.

I grinned.

Everything was perfect.

The field I was in was perfect.

The expanse of azure dotted with scuds of clouds was perfect.

The wind that blew the hair from my face, carrying the voices of all my loved ones along was perfect.

Everything was just… perfect.

My chest swelled with happiness. I felt… content.

I laughed, a light tinkering sound that reminded me of my mother, who I hadn't heard speak since so long ago.

But the grief didn't show. I was too happy. My chest was swelling too much.

And then the pain came. The sky dulled, the grass wilted and suddenly I was alone in the darkness and shadows.

But despite the fear now present inside me, I couldn't stop breathing in and swelling my chest. Kami, it was beginning to hurt so much.

My happiness was becoming pain, and I was confused.

Why would this happen?  
Did I do something wrong?  
The wind stopped its soothing lull and was replaced by a blowing gale. It bought the stench of death with it and I gagged a little, tears streaming down my face from the harsh smell.

It reminded me too much of the cell I was locked in for months.

The snapping cloth against my skin reminded me of the needles.

The pain in my heart reminded me of my loss.

I felt like I was drowning and I didn't know how to reach the surface. I couldn't tell which way was up, or down. All I knew was that this agony was a little too familiar.

_He_ was coming back for me.

Oh Kami, he was coming back for me.  
"No," I shook my head vehemently. I was strong now. Strong enough to defend myself at least a little. Sakumo, Jiraiya, Kushina, my parents… they taught me to be strong and I always learnt the hard way. But I was tenacious, and that would have to be enough. "No," I repeated, stronger this time. He will not take me! "No. No. _No. No! NO! NO!"_

"Akani!"

A voice sounded over the gale, so soft that I almost missed it but my head snapped towards a lone tree I hadn't noticed before. Its branches were bent, almost bare but it was _life _in the darkness, and it was calling out to me.

"Akani! Ak-"

I sprinted towards it, my feet almost being swept out from under me but I fought. I fought against the clinging, stinging thorns that sprouted up to stop me. Kami, I was so close now. I reached out, stretching, stretching, stretching until I _finally_ made contact. On instinct, I wrapped my arms around the tree's trunk, holding tight.

What I expected to be bark was soft.

What I expected to a solid presence was now soft and soothing.

I could hear a dull _thump thump thump_ and the rhythm was amazing.

And I was crying.

And the world was dark once more.

I sniffled, still clinging onto the _something_ that my nerves were too fried to make sense of, but I could smell Kakashi.

Oh, right. Duh, I was wearing his clothes and in his apartment. Why wouldn't it smell like him? Something was rubbing my back in soothing circles and my muscles went limp, my tears drying on my face but I still remembered the pain.

My chest ached with it.

"Akani, you need to breathe," the sole voice demanded softly.

I listened, and the pain eased.

Grateful. I was grateful. I wasn't completely sure what was happening right now, but I was grateful since the pain was fading.

I offered a small smile and contented sigh. "Thank you," I whispered, drifting off into a now peaceful sleep.

I was almost under when I heard a murmured 'You're welcome.'

* * *

Kakashi felt a nugget of annoyance as he glared down at the comfortably sleeping form of his unwanted apartment crasher. He doubted he'd be getting much more sleep since her screaming woke him up.

He'd never heard a voice filled with such pain and fear and he wondered what the hell she'd been dreaming about. When the tears started, he admitted to becoming a little freaked out. Akani had never cried in front of him much before since she was 'too strong' to cry 'in front of an emotionless robot.'

He didn't know why he did it; offer comfort. It was incredibly awkward, especially when he called out her name to stop her thrashing and she lunged to wrap herself around him like a clinging vine. He remembered something his dad used to do when he suffered from nightmares as a child, and began to rub her back in circles. She calmed instantly, but due to her panic her breathing was too shallow.

When he demanded she breathe, she did so, and looked up at him with a tear stained, puffy face. He knew her thanks was heartfelt before she even whispered it and she slipped into sleep.

He didn't even realise he'd relaxed too and was still rubbing her back.

He eventually fell asleep next to her on the uncomfortable ground.

* * *

I woke up alone and my face was sticky. I wrinkled my nose, noting how stuffy it was. That usually happened when I had a…

I groaned.

Kami, tell me I wasn't crying from a nightmare in front of the jerk. He'd never let me live it down. I flared my chakra and noted I was alone in the room. Kakashi must have already left. A minor miracle since I had awful morning breath. I vaguely wondered what time it was, but shrugged that off. My body clock told me it was almost dawn, so I needed to leave soon like I promised Kakashi the night before. The landlord was an early riser so he'd be up by now.

Retired ninja's basically ran most of the shops and apartment buildings and old habits died hard.

I sniffed myself, deeming me worthy to walk through the streets and back home. I gathered my ruined clothing and strapped my weapons pouch to my thigh, making sure to lock Kakashi's apartment behind me. I'd taken one step and stood on something, making a _crunch_ echo down the hallway. I bent and picked up…

A note, and a key.

_My_ key. As in, to my apartment. The one I lost last night.

I don't know how long I stood there for, staring at the small bit of brass in confusion.

Had Kakashi searched the training grounds for my key?

If he had, then that would have taken forever.

Maybe it was a spare. But… that would mean he went to my landlord and done my job for me. Why would he do that?

Kakashi was an ass, right?

I thumbed the small note and raised a brow. Kakashi had written it in chakra ink, which meant that if I channelled a small amount of chakra into the paper the ink would glow and I could read it.

It was oddly… thoughtful. And… sweet.

I smiled and channelled my energy into the paper, kanji lighting up blue in the dark.

_Don't lose this spare key. Your landlord is an ass and you're incompetent._

- _K_

_PS: You snore._

I twitched.

I changed my mind.

Kakashi wasn't sweet.

He was still an ass.

I stomped back home to get ready for my first day with my team.

* * *

I sprinted towards the Hokage tower to meet with my team, cursing under my breath. My body clock had been wrong. It had been past dawn when I woke, which meant Kakashi let me sleep in.

What a jerk.

I deftly twisted out of the way of a food cart, yelling out an apology as the owner screamed at me. I pumped chakra into my legs and bounced off a telephone pole to land nimbly on some random roof. I joined the morning traffic heading towards the tower, overtaking a few lazy chunin and fellow genin. Kami, Kushina-sensei was going to boil me alive!

The tower was in sight. So was my sensei and two annoyed teammates.

I jumped to the ground and rocketed forward, pinwheeling my arms a little to slow myself down. I arrived in a cloud of dust, panting a little with a big grin on my face.

"I'm here!" I crowed. "Now let's get this party started, huh?" I marched forward, only to be stopped by a hand clamping down on my shirt collar.

It was Kushina. "Akani-chan, are you feeling alright?"  
I blinked. "Eh? Of course. Why?"

She sighed and let go of me. I knew I probably looked like crap. That tended to happen after I had a nightmare and Kushina knew the signs. I could practically hear her lecture coming later. "Never mind. _Don't_ be late again, okay?" she warned.

I gave her a salute and she rolled her eyes in response, leading us towards the Hokage tower to receive our first mission as Team Two.

I knew we'd start off small, but I couldn't help but fidget as I fought to stay still at the thought of finally seeing some action. Logically, I knew I should be terrified, but I'd trained my butt off so I wouldn't be.

It was the start of something beautiful.

* * *

"This sucks!" I groaned.

Kushina sensei laughed from her comfortable position in the tree above. "No complaining, Akani-chan. The faster you pick up the trash, the faster we can get to team bonding."  
"I'd rather talk about _feelings_ than pick up stinky banana peels," I grumbled.

Kushina laughed again and I silently swore to pay her back in some way. I occasionally had moments of brilliance, and my usual target was Kakashi but I could make an exception.

"Just… shut up," Tokuma sighed next to me.

I whirled on him. "You hate this as much as I do, Princess. Don't tell me what to do!"

Muta was silent a few feet away, simply listening to me and Tokuma bicker with the occasional input from Kushina.

And for some reason, I was more content than I had been these last few weeks.

I ignored the voice in the back of my mind saying that all good things must come to an end.

Eventually.

* * *

Kushina clapped her hands happily as she sat in front of us three filthy genin. Tokuma and I originally started off verbally abusing each other, but he said something that pissed me off – I can't really remember what – and I may have _accidentally maybe kinda_ pushed him into a garbage can, and he retaliated.

Maybe ducking the flying garbage wasn't such a good idea since it coated Muta and I felt bad, but I was _slightly _cleaner than the Hyuga, which made me happy even though I stank.

"Now! Congratulations on completing your first D-rank mission as a team! I think before we start training as a team we need to bond as one so I hope you thought long and hard about what you think you need to work on individually," sensei said. She pointed to Muta. "Right, what are your thoughts on your weaknesses Muta-kun?"

He adjusted his sunglasses. "Logically, my taijutsu is poor because my clan relies heavily on the kikaichu to drain the enemy. I would prefer to work on that aspect of my training."

Kushina nodded sagely. "I see, I see. And personality flaws?"

"I am afraid I do not understand, Kushina-sensei. It was to my understanding that we were to discuss our physical weaknesses."  
"Oh, that too," she said airily. "And we can work on that, but as you three can clearly see, not everyone put together on a team always cooperates and gets along." She pointedly looked at me and Tokuma. "Everyone is different, and that's a good thing, but I'd prefer to hear your brutal honesty about what _you_think is a personal flaw that could affect your teammates down the road. You don't have to reveal any big secrets-" cue my relieved sigh, "-but you do need to trust your teammates with the knowledge of your hang-ups. You can pretend confidence, but everyone has fears."  
I stiffened. I couldn't help but think that last bit was directed towards me and, knowing Kushina, it probably was.

"… I see," Muta murmured. "I suppose… my ability to detach myself emotionally from a situation could be seen as a negative aspect."  
"Nah, Muta-san," I waved off, "Just means you're a clear thinker." I shot him a grin when his chakra calmed a little. He'd been uncomfortable and it had slightly eased with my words, which made me happy.

"I've found that sometimes you need to be emotional to be a shinobi, but that's just me being an emotional person," Kushina stated. "Now, Tokuma-kun. Your turn."  
"My main clan focus is taijutsu and my Byakugan but my knowledge in ninjutsu is severely limited," he admitted, sounding somewhat strained as if admitting his weakness was causing physical pain. "I am… proud," he admitted softly.

"Hey, Tokuma-san?" I asked. He glared at me, but I ignored it. "You've got awesome chakra control, right?"  
"Hai. What about it?"  
I shrugged. "Ever thought about medical ninjutsu?" He was silent, so I took that as a no. "Think about it. Medic nin's need perfect chakra control and you're a _Hyuga_. With your Byakugan and stuff you'd made an awesome medical-nin."  
"It is not a path I wish to take," he growled.

I held my hands up in defence. "Geez, calm down Princess. You don't have to become a medical nin if you don't wanna but I think it'd be awesome to have someone know medical jutsu on the team. You're the logical choice."

"And you are not?"  
I laughed. "Unless you want to be blown up, no I'm not." More than a few faces paled at that. "My chakra is… potent, intense I suppose. I was covered in smelly fish guts by the time I figured that out so… yeah, no medical jutsu for me, but I know someone who can help!"

"I… will think about it."  
I grinned. It's a start.

"Okay, Akani-chan," Kushina-sensei said. "You're turn."  
"Well… my taijutsu is okay. Not as good as Princess, but okay. I know a few earth and water jutsu since they're my affinities and also my fuinjutsu. My genjutsu is non-existent since my blindness won't allow me to weave one but my best ability is my sensing. I suppose I could work more on… well, everything really." I began to shift uncomfortably. All eyes were trained on me and it was beginning to feel like they were judging me, assessing me and finding me unworthy. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "As for my personality… I'm proud, and I get riled up too easy. I don't like to… look at the past-" _especially since I knew the freaking future and my past is too painful,_ "-and… I guess I might be a _little_ too impulsive, sometimes. Not all the time. Mostly. Kinda. Sort of."

"Don't forget your rambling," Tokuma muttered beside me.

I growled at him, but Kushina cut me off.

"Alright, that's a start I suppose. We'll talk more tomorrow. When you work as a team you become a well oiled machine. You were placed to cover each other's weaknesses and support each other's strengths. Remember that. You'll get your mission paychecks at the end of each week. I'll see you tomorrow at Training ground twelve at nine. _Don't be late_. Akani-chan, you stay."  
My teammates disappeared and I grumbled under my breath. Here comes the lecture.

Kushina placed a hand on my shoulder, squatting until she was eye level. Not that it did much good. "Is everything okay, Akani-chan?" The worry was evident in her voice.

"Yeah," I said softly, turning my head. "Just… had another nightmare last night."  
"… About the cell?"

I nodded stiffly.

"You are scared." A statement, not a question.

I nodded once more and was drawn into a hug. It surprised me, but I hesitantly returned it despite my mind screaming that I shouldn't get too attached to a woman I was indirectly going to murder in a few years time. The thought made me sick.

This whole burden did, and I was just realising how much stress I was under.

I could train and train until I was covered in bruises and I was too tired to even think straight, but all my worries built up in my subconscious and came out in the form of nightmares.

It wasn't a pleasant experience. My only options were to accept the burden – which I was _really_ trying to do with as much dignity as possible, but it was hard – or to not sleep which wasn't really an option since I loved sleep.

"Always remember that I'm here for you, Akani-chan," Kushina murmured softly and the tears I didn't realise welling spilled over, because…

No.

Kushina wouldn't always be there.

And I cursed myself because I was already too far gone in caring about my new family.

* * *

**Please review :)**

**Aw, Kakashi can be a sweet jerk sometimes. Sorry about the second person, but I thought seeing the nightmare from Kakashi's point of view was needed. Aaaaaaaand he got her a new apartment key!**

**But I have a feeling Akani will still crash at his place when it's closer than her apartment from the training grounds :P**

**And eat all his food.**

**And generally annoy the crap out of him.**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I hate needles, but I'll gladly get tattoos and piercings. That's not to say I'm some pincushion or inked up mamma. I have one tattoo and seven piercings.**

**I've only seen the snow once.**

**Celery is a negative calorie, which means your body burns energy trying to digest it.**

**But remember to eat a balanced diet! I don't want to hear of anyone ditching their vegies and steak for an all-celery and water food regime! :)**

**Geez, I'm such a mother haha**


	18. They're totally dating

**Heya!**

**The silly season has turned into the f**king insanity season. Seriously. Santa better give me a damn Lamborghini! Or jelly beans. Yeah, jelly beans would work.**

**Dr Pepper too. *drool***

**Anyways, please review! You know you want to, even if it's just to say 'hi!' :D**

**CeresMaria: I live in Australia :) The sunburnt country, 'down undah', 'G'day Mate!' and all that crap. It's like a three day non-stop drive south if i wanted to see snow in the winter and... I'm ****_really_**** lazy so I think once a decade is enough for me :P**

**The Great Thao-Sama: Duuuuuuude, I'm happy you're enjoying the story! I'll let ya know now that although I update frequently, if I don't feels the story, the story don't feels me so I'd rather wait until I get inspiration than post a shitty chappy. :) Thankies for the review!**

**animagirl: ahhh, Danzo is a bit of a douche, but since he works on the downlow and is just a general creeper, he'd probably get his lackeys to kidnap Akani. Or hold his cards until he's ready to play the game... I'll let you stew on that for now ;P**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

The day was perfect in a gloomy kind of way. The sky was overcast and rain was threatening so of _course_ Kushina had dragged Muta, Tokuma and I out for some team training.

We'd been together for over a year now and graduated up to performing some easy C-rank missions. Mainly escorts and document deliveries to minor neighbouring countries and so far the worst we've encountered is petty bandits.

I haven't had my first kill, but the others have.

I'm a little ashamed to admit that, despite my bravado, I wussed out and froze on stabbing a kunai into some dude's eye. That resulted in Kushina wrapping a chakra chain around me and pulling me away to save me from getting a new 'haircut' by the bandits sword. Tokuma had swooped in and a single strike to the dude's heart tenketsu later, he was down and not getting back up.

I'd gotten a reaming when we re-rentered the village that resulted in me breaking down in front of my team, much to my disgust.

It was different for me, since I couldn't physically see someone's death. I _felt_ it. I could sense all their emotions and see their chakra fade into non-existence and sometimes I wondered if that was worse than actually seeing the death.

I didn't like it.

I knew I would have to kill. Eventually.

But right now I was happy to be an oblivious genin hanging with my team.

"Why… does she do this to us?" I huffed, squeaking a little as I ducked a flurry of senbon thrown by our lovely sensei. I was feeling oddly out of breath, despite having run longer and faster before. But today had been quite steamy and I didn't like the heat too much, so maybe that's why I was feeling so drained…

"Because you cannot keep your mouth shut and pay attention," Tokuma snapped, sounding just as out of breath as me. Our relationship had gotten better over the last year since I covered his butt more times than I could count. Getting into sticky situations and pulling through in the end meant that bonds were inevitably formed. After I proved my worth – which may or may not have involved fracturing a portion of the training field with a chakra laden punch during a rather intense spar – we'd grown from semi-hostile teammates to semi-not-so-hostile teammates.

Muta was still Muta, although I was happy to see he was more comfortable around his teammates now. Hell, he even joined in on teasing me whenever I did something idiotic which was most of the time despite my self-professed maturity.

Given, it took me a little bit to realise he _was_ teasing but when it kicked in I was laughed at.

Again.

I blamed Kushina for my downgraded intelligence sometimes since she was much the same, sadistic, bi-polar Uzumaki that I'd met ages ago, only this time she was paid to torture me. I'd noticed she'd been coming to team practice a little happier than normal and I suppose it had a lot to do with Minato and how they were squirreling her furniture out of her apartment every other night in sealing scrolls.

Yeah…

Not subtle at all, especially since my sensing range had become more sensitive and reached beyond the village walls when I concentrated hard enough. I still pushed myself and sometimes got a nosebleed but that was no biggy. I usually wore a few stolen shirts of Kakashi's so I wouldn't ruin my own clothing when that happened.

Speaking of Kakashi, we'd settled into a weird routine of me crashing at his place sometimes after practice and him dragging me out of my own bed – sometimes by my freaking _ear_ – if I overslept and he was on his way to meet his own team. My apartment was conveniently placed between Kakashi's apartment and the Hokage tower. Since Minato and Kushina were not-so-secretly seeing each other, our teams tended to 'accidentally' run into each other a lot in the village as well. Obito and I sparred, even though I beat his ass into the dirt more times than I could count – though Kakashi often evened the odds afterwards to my continuing dismay – and Rin was always there to clean up the mess like the momma-bird she was.

Her crush on Kakashi had grown, much to my ire since Obito wasn't exactly subtle in letting his feelings known towards the brunette medic. I knew she wasn't oblivious, which meant she noticed Obito's feelings. She just ignored them. To me, that seemed worse.

Honestly though, Obito was the most emotional Uchiha I had – and would ever – meet.

Plus, Kakashi was still an ass, especially when I steal most of his clean clothes.

I hated doing laundry, so sue me.

Guy, whenever he was off doing his own missions, managed to track me down faster than I thought possible no matter how good of a place I tried to hide. He'd gotten it in his head that since I was friends with Kakashi, who he'd named his 'eternal rival' after seeing me flipped end over end during a 'friendly' joint-team spar between Teams Two and Seven, that I needed more training.

Only this time he tended to overdo the compliments on my 'youthfulness' and called me 'lotus blossom' more times than I could count.

_That_ was mildly annoying, and I managed to crack a few ribs telling him so. He'd switched back to 'Akani-chan' pretty quickly.

All in all, my life was going pretty smoothly. I'd become faster and stronger, expanding my knowledge on fuinjutsu with Kushina's help. Sometimes Minato, too, though my hero-worship kinda made me distracted and my sensei cranky which resulted in me limping back home and sighing over my singed clothing.

I'd managed to get some more basic water and earth jutsu down. I could tunnel like a mole and spit out water-lugies like no tomorrow much to Obito and Rin's joy-slash-disgust respectively since I often tried them out on their chunin teammate.

Once, I forgot he had a lightning affinity and the results of my water meeting his electricity was quite… hair raising.

Never. Again.

I still hadn't seen my friend from the Mokuton experiments. Sometimes I felt like someone was watching me but the chakra was almost as familiar as my own that I just brushed it off.

My brash and impulsive nature still won out sometimes, such as on a regular D-rank Kushina-sensei had given us that morning. It was simply to board up a clan house since a storm was supposed to hit Konoha tonight and I might have accidentally tripped and fallen through the roof while singing a crappy commercial jingle, resulting in a somewhat failed mission and docked paycheck.

Woops.

Kushina wasn't exactly happy to hear about that.

Ergo, since we failed 'as a team,' Kushina decided to torture us as a team.

I wasn't very popular right now, even with Muta though he was silently running and dodging next to me. His agitated chakra was enough of an indication that he was pissed.

"Alright, kiddies, that's enough," Kushina called out. "For now."  
We slowed down to a fast walk, gulping in air like it was running out. I recovered a bit quicker than Tokuma, Muta not so far behind me due to his kikaichu.

Thank Kami for longevity and Uzumaki spritely-ness.

Speaking of, my two teammates _still_ didn't know I was an Uzumaki and I didn't really plan on telling them either. My past was still confidential too, though they were becoming more tenacious in wanting to find out since I avoided talking about the first five years of my life. My excuse of not remembering was quickly becoming old and I was a shit liar, especially to people who I'd known for a period of time.

I could tell that they trusted me, though not as much as they should for teammates. I just… didn't feel that close to them yet.

I couldn't get close to anyone else just yet.

I had the odd meeting with the Hokage whenever he summoned me and I think he suspected I knew _a lot_ more than what I was telling – which was wholeheartedly _true_ – but how did you tell a village leader that his wife was gonna die in an attack that would put him back in place as Hokage and it hadn't even happened yet? Oh, and add to that I would be sitting back to let the Kyubi be dragged out of my sensei by one of my best friends and skewered by Fluffy's paw only after the fox did some damage to the village. How _would_ I tell him that?

Easy.

I didn't.

And I was safe since he wouldn't make it publicly known that in knew the future so asking a Yamanaka – no matter how discreet they'd try to be – was out of the question. Danzo had a nasty habit of finding shit out and the Hokage knew that.

So, for now I was safe. Selfish, but safe.

But that made me worry, too. Danzo hadn't made his move, but I knew he was just silently sitting in his creepy dull room with his creepy little minions just biding his creepy time.

The creep.

"So, what have we learned?" Kushina asked drolly.

"Akani-chan cannot sing," Muta said.

"And she shouldn't attempt to have a seizure on the roof of an old compound with weak shingles," Tokuma added.

"Seizure? What the… I was dancing, you jerk!" I cried, tiredness and guilt over our team punishment fleeing. "And I'm not _that_ bad of a singer!"

"You are," my teammates – including Kushina – replied in unison. I stuck out my tongue.

What lovely ass-hats.

But… I suppose they were _my_ ass-hats.

"Alright, enough rest, -ttebane! We can-" Kushina-sensei was cut off by a loud clap of thunder that had my heart racing for some odd reason. Konoha had storms before, but never thunder this… loud. Was it normally this loud?

I couldn't even hear myself think.

"Ooh, this looks nasty and I don't want any of you fried, so…" Kushina drew out. "I guess we can call it a day. Be prepared for village clean up tomorrow if this storm gets too-" _cra-crack!_ "… Lively."  
"Hai!" we spoke in unison, leaving as one to exit the training field. No one spoke and I didn't want to put any attention on myself. Silence was good.

It meant my teammates were too deep in thought about maiming me in the future to realise the object of their frustration was in their presence.

Solid plan.

Or so I thought.

"_Akani-chan!_"  
Tokuma and Muta snapped their gazes towards me and I could _feel_ their eyes burning me.

Well… shit.

I ducked as Obito tried to perform a fly tackle, only to end up using his face as a skateboard. I winced, hurrying over to him. I tugged him to his feet, feeling a little guilty as he patted the dust off his clothes. That would have hurt.

"You okay, Obi?" I asked, concerned.

He grinned brightly at me. "Hells yeah, Red! Hey! Guess what! I _totally_ almost hit Kakashi during team training today!"

"You wish, idiot," a familiar voice drawled, approaching the group with a frustrated Rin.

"Obito, don't run off like that! How are we supposed to have a meal as a team when one disappears?" Rin gently scolded. Obito scuffed his shoe against the ground, looking like a cute, kicked puppy.

Damn, I'm a sucker for kicked puppies.

I flung an arm over Obito's shoulders. The Uchiha had sprouted up like a weed this last year. Not as much as Kakashi, but enough to make me stretch a little to give him a slap upside the head when he was being denser than me. "Naw, don't be like that, Rinny! It's not Obi's fault he knows good company when he sees it." I ignored the collective scoff. "So, you guys finished training for the day?"  
"Yeah," Rin answered. "Minato-sensei didn't want us training too late since the storm was coming over a lot quicker."

I disengaged from my Uchiha buddy, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "You know, Kushina-sensei didn't really seem that interested to keep tort- I mean, train us today. She was pretty blasé about it all, actually…" I trailed off, letting the genin's – and one chunin's – minds wander where they would.

Obito broke the silence. "They're totally dating."  
"Yup."

"Duh?"

"Plausible."  
"… I don't care."  
"State the obvious, idiot."

Obito whirled on Kakashi, fist raised. "Don't call me an idiot, asshole!"

Kakashi blinked. Then snorted gracefully in a way that kinda made me jealous. "Idiot."

"Why you-"

The sky split with lightning and thunder cracked above. It was quickly followed by a heavy sheet of ice-cold rain. Anyone who was currently outside quickly disappeared faster than Kushina when she heard the words 'free ramen.' Rin and I squealed, ducking towards the nearest rain-free spot which happened to be a cramped space underneath a shop window. We barely fit with just the two of us, so of course when Obito decided to squeeze himself in I was knocked to the ground…

And ended up ass-first in a muddy puddle.

I glared up at my friend who was trying to laugh sheepishly but failed miserably. He snorted, slapping his hands over his mouth to stop from making the situation worse. It didn't really matter, though, since I was gonna murder him either way. The thunder and lightning seemed to be coming on a lot quicker now and the rain fell in a heavy blanket over the village. Tokuma and Muta gave me a quick nod before flickering away towards their clan compounds. They were still cranky with me.

Yay.

"Akani-chan! Are you okay?" Rin asked above the quickening wind.

I grimaced as I stood, my back twinging a little. My hand stung too from grazing the pavement but I ignored that. It would be healed in no time. I landed pretty hard on my tailbone, though. I nodded to say I was okay, but Rin didn't believe me.

"Come on! Let's get inside and I can check that for you!" she said.

I could do nothing but sigh as she began to drag me somewhere, barely pausing to say goodbye to a downtrodden Obito and blatantly ignoring Kakashi. We came to a crossroads and she tried to tug me to the right as I tried to go left. She looked at me quizzically.

"My place is closer than yours," I answered her unsaid question. "Plus, I don't want to intrude," I added.

She didn't do anything other than nod and follow me quickly as I led the way to my shoebox apartment. We both almost cried with relief at how warm and dry the place was, despite smelling like a library.

"Wait here. I'll grab some towels," I murmured, fleeing her side to head towards the small bathroom. I was careful to avoid all the scrolls dotted about the place. I'd conned Jiraiya into getting me a bookshelf for my eighth birthday but I'd filled that with books and scrolls ages ago. Corners and under the bed was the next best thing.

I grabbed two towels and tossed one to Rin who took it gratefully. She hadn't moved from her spot by the door.

"This is the first time you've been here, right?"

She nodded. "It's… cleaner than I thought it would be."  
"Nicely veiled insult, Rinny," I deadpanned, heading towards the small kitchenette. She giggled. "Want some tea?"  
"Please."  
I reached for the kettle, only to pause as her chakra twitched nervously. "What?"  
"O-oh, it's just… are you sure you should be fiddling around with fire with… you know…" she trailed off uneasily.

"Rin, I'm a kunoichi. I toss around sharp and pointy objects on a daily basis and you're scared that I can't boil _water_?" I retorted.

She shifted uncomfortably. "G-gomen, Akani-chan. I didn't mean to-"

I waved her off with a smile that didn't quite meet my eyes. Sometimes she still treated me like a helpless little girl and, although sweet, it got kind of annoying after a while. Like now.

I'd been living on my own for a few years and I hadn't died from my cooking – coughtakeoutcough – yet. And I'm pretty sure boiling water in a kettle is pretty straight forward. I sighed, noting she was still twitchy.

"It's not exactly etiquette or whatever, but if it makes you feel better, you can make the tea," I caved.

She perked up and I wondered what the hell was so fun about making hot leaf stew and drinking it. Roughly five minutes later I was sipping on the drink of the Gods.

"Kami, this is so _good_," I moaned, taking another warm sip. "If it wasn't weird, I'd totally marry you just for the tea."

Rin smiled over the rim of her own cup before finishing her tea and placing the empty cup in the sink. She clapped her hands, suddenly all business.

"Right. Lift your shirt and let me take a look at that back."  
I tensed, ignoring the twinge in my spine. "Nah, it's okay. I feel better now. Seriously, you don't have to do that."  
"Akani-chan," Rin said in her 'momma' tone. I shrunk back like a kid scolded. "Don't pretend I don't see you wincing, young lady. We're both girls and I'm a medic. Plus, I'm your friend so if you're hurt, let me help you."

I bit my lip. Thos final four words stabbed me in the chest for some reason: _let me help you._ I had plenty of help from plenty of people, but this felt different, somehow. More… personal. I'd happily ask for help with taijutsu, fuinjutsu or ninjutsu, but being healed and checked out by a friend was… disconcerting.

I was littered with scars, which was why I wore long sleeved everything. I knew she'd ask about them if she saw and I'd break down and tell her, and that would make me feel more bare than if I'd been stripped down in the middle of the market square.

Could I trust Rin?  
Yes.

But she couldn't trust me. She was my friend, and surrogate sister-like figure but… Rin's death was the cause of so much hate and, if I wanted any type of control over the future, it had to happen.

I turned green, and forgot that Rin was still there and interpreted my reaction as something different.

"Oh, Akani-chan," she cooed, "It's not that bad. You've been healed plenty of times before, right? I won't hurt you."  
_No, but I'm going to hurt you_. I went from green to white. Kami, I was like a freaking rainbow.

"I'm fine, Rin," I choked out. She frowned and was about to say something when, "I think you should leave."  
Rin blinked. "What? But, I haven't healed you yet. You could have a hairline fracture or-"

"Please, Rin. I… I can't. I'm sorry," I sobbed. "Please leave."  
Something in my voice must have told her I needed to be alone because she folded the towel I gave her and rose, leaving with a soft sigh. She paused at the door.

"You have a lot of people that care for you, Akani-chan, but you can't expect them to stick around if you don't let them in."  
With that she left.

I shivered, curling into a ball.

I didn't bother changing out of my filthy clothes.

All I felt was an overwhelming guilt for plotting my friend's death and letting her head home in the freezing rain.

I fell into a fitful sleep where the voices in the dark were silent and for some reason that was more horrifying than them screaming.

* * *

A noise woke me up. I didn't quite know what it was, but I woke to it anyway. At least, I tried to. My eyelids felt heavy, like they were weighed down by Gamabunta and I couldn't get warm. I huddled further into myself, trying to keep in my body heat.

Why was it so cold?  
That last time I felt this cold was…

I gasped, trying to leap to my feet and escape the dingy cell when hands clamped firmly on my shoulders. Over the pounding of my heart in my throat I could hear someone saying something, but I couldn't reply.

I didn't say anything. I screamed instead because my body felt like it was suddenly doused in toad oil and I was set alight. Those damn hands were still clamped on me like a vice and all I could think was _I'm not going back, I'm not going back, _I'm not going back!

I lashed out with wild right hook that didn't connect but the hands disappeared. Without their support I crashed to the ground but I was desperate to escape. I was rescued once and almost died. I had no intention of being at someone else's mercy again.

That's why I trained; to become strong so I could protect myself and others.

It was lowly of me, but I crawled, my eyes burning as I sobbed to try and escape from my prison. The dark was terrifying again, and I didn't like it.

The darkness was my place of solitude until Orochimaru twisted it and made me fear it. No, not fear the dark. What was _in_ the dark.

I tried to flare my chakra but my energy was fading fast and my head began to pound.

Kami, was I drugged? Again?

They liked to stick needles in me, so I wouldn't be surprised.

I rolled onto my back and scratched at the veins in my arms, trying to tear skin to bleed it out so I could think clear. It hurt, and I whimpered but I continued to shred my skin through the clothes. There were numerous other scars like it when I'd torn at my flesh during drug-induced delirium when I was younger. They were light, though, and almost unnoticeable unless I was in the light, apparently. It was good to be an Uzumaki sometimes.

The medics told me the wounds would heal. They always did, but they cut so much deeper than just the physical.

I was scared.

I was helpless.

I was balling my eyes out because whoever had tried to keep me down was now gone.

But they'd be back.

They always came back.

I flopped onto my front and dragged myself forward, feeling out until I touched a wall. Good. Walls usually meant direction and direction meant door to freedom. I scrabbled along, uncaring that I was leaving bloody trailed behind me. The dark was suffocating me and the voices were back.

They'd come back, like I knew they would.

More hands joined the fray and clamped my body down to the floor and I screamed, wailed, sobbed and cursed. I could hear someone screaming and I automatically thought that my cellmate was in trouble. I was back in the cell, and it was all too familiar.

The scent of the place lied, though.

It smelled familiar, but…

It was all a trick.

It was all fake.

It had to be.

I felt something wrap around me, binding my arms and legs and I let out a horrified scream. A sharp pain in my neck was all too familiar and I sunk into unconsciousness.

I didn't feel myself hit the floor.

* * *

Kakashi fought the urge to fidget as he leant against the wall, arms crossed. The only indication that he was affected by what he saw earlier was his white knuckled grip on his own arms.

He'd gone to wake up Akani, like he normally did when he needed to be put in a good mood. It had been a while since he tortured her, so it was due.

The sight he walked in on, though, was nothing short of scary. Akani was a shivering, sweaty mess, still dressed in the muddy clothes from the day before. He didn't have to touch her skin to know she was burning up. She was moaning in her sleep, obviously in pain and when he called her name all hell broke loose.

She was delirious, sobbing and screaming and talking in riddles. She didn't seem to recognise his voice so he did the next best thing.

He tried to keep her still.

Big mistake.

She attacked, automatically on the defensive and when she started to claw at her own skin he raced away to get help. Her psychotic murmurs of 'not going back' followed him out the door, making him confused and morbidly curious. He found his sensei first. He didn't care that he was walking out of Kushina's apartment with the redhead beside him.

Those two were the worst kept secret in Konoha.

Minato had taken one look at his face and asked what was wrong. He only managed to say two words; "Akani… help."

Kushina overtook the men and broke Akani's apartment door. He had seen blood before. He'd spilt it and wept the red stuff himself but seeing Akani's blood leaving long trails on her hardwood floor seemed so wrong.

He couldn't do anything other than stand at the door as Kushina and Minato took control of the situation, eventually having to knock the girl out so they could take her to the hospital.

Which was where he was with his sensei calming down a worried Kushina. The Uzumaki cared for all her genin, but Akani was different.

She was her first student, much like he was with Minato. The bond would always run a little deeper and the care would always extend a little further. It's just how it was.

And Kushina was all that Akani had, anyway.

Minato was all he had, too.

Rushing feet drew his attention to Obito and Rin bursting through the hospital doors, quickly followed by Akani's two teammates. They all looked frazzled and concerned, though the latter two hid it better.

Clan kids were always more composed.

"What happened?!" Obito cried, latching onto Minato.

The blonde sighed, sounding weary. He cared for the blind girl too. "Akani-chan caught a fever from being out in the rain yesterday. She hasn't been taking care of herself as well as she should be, according to the medics. She's pushed herself too hard for someone her age. There's an infection in her blood too but they are finding out the cause of that."  
Kakashi stiffened a little. Blood born infections were incredibly dangerous, and Akani had been training and performing missions while one was spreading through her body.

Idiot.

Obito whirled on him, tears in his eyes, making the chunin blink. "No one asked your opinion, asshole! If you don't wanna be here, leave!"

Kakashi was confused. Had he called her an idiot out loud? He must have, if the hostile aura's of Akani's teammates and sensei were any proof, the latter more overwhelming than the former.

Even peace-keeper Rin was frowning at him.

Perhaps he _should_ leave. He wasn't needed there, and he needed to train.

He gave his sensei a nod of goodbye, and felt something sink in his gut when he saw the disappointed light in the older man's eyes. Why was that?

Kushina stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Akani-chan would want you to stay, Kakashi-kun," she murmured lowly so the others wouldn't hear. "You're her friend."

Kakashi paused before stepping away from her, glancing around at the gathered genin and jonin. "She is in perfectly good hands. I'll be at the training grounds."

He turned on his heel and left and wondered why he was disturbed by the shards of disappointment aimed at his retreating back.

* * *

My mouth tasted funny.

It tasted like cotton mixed with bile and the strawberries I'd inhaled for breakfast.

Not a pleasant combo, I assure you.

My ears twitched, trying to register sound that came through like fuzzy static. What the hell was going on?

I groaned, trying to move my muscles and sit up when a soft hand brushed my bangs from my forehead. I immediately relaxed, recognising Kushina's touch.

This was strangely familiar, I internally mused.

"Water?" Kushina asked. I gave a short nod, wincing as everything protested. I didn't even move my toes but I swore they ached from the movement anyways.

Weird.

I chugged down the glass of water to wash the gross taste from my mouth, instantly feeling better. I felt a tug at the crook of my elbow. An IV. I sighed. More needles.

Wait. Why was I in the hospital?  
I looked at Kushina who was seated by my bedside and asked.

"You were burning with fever and had an infection in your blood. Kakashi-kun found you," she explained.

"An infection?" I asked, somewhat bewildered. Sure, I hadn't exactly been feeling the best lately, but… a blood infection?

"Hai," Kushina replied.

"But… huh?" I scratched the back of my head, grimacing at the knotty gross mass that was my hair. "Where would I have gotten a blood infection from?"

"Not sure, but lucky Minato-kun and I got you to the hospital. Any longer and you would have started having seizures." There was a weighty pause as she let that sink in. "Akani-chan… you need to slow down."  
"What do you mean?" I asked, although I knew what she was talking about. It just wasn't an option, though.

"Don't play dumb, brat," the redhead growled. "You need to slow down with all the training! You need to look after yourself better, which means _no more takeout_! It's a miracle you aren't a giant blob with how much crap you eat. You know what? You're coming over every night so I can cook you a good, _healthy_ dinner, -ttebane!"  
I balked. "Eh? Weren't we just talking about me taking it slow? How the hell did that turn into a conversation about food?!"

"We're still on topic, baka! You need to slow down and take care of yourself, but in the meantime I'll be supervising you better. I know I usually leave you, Tokuma-kun and Muta-kun to do your own thing whenever we're not training as a team or on missions, but you never leave the training ground!"  
"I do to!"  
"To go home and practice sealing while getting four hours of sleep a night? Akani-chan, that's not healthy!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" I shouted, fists balling. "You're not my mother!"

"No, I'm not because she's dead," Kushina said bluntly. I paled, heart freezing. Sensei was suddenly so… cold. "But I'm sure she'd be ashamed of how you're treating yourself, Akani-chan. Do you think she's like to see you like this?"

I was angry again. "You don't know anything. You don't know _anything!_" How could she understand what I was going through, what stress I was under? She couldn't, because she didn't know and she would _never_ know.

"Then help me understand."  
"You wouldn't understand!" I choked, swiping a few hot tears away. They were quickly replaced, though. "No one understands! I… I have to be strong! I have to protect…" _Everyone_.

"You have people that care about you, Akani-chan. And right now, a majority of them are sleeping in the waiting room, waiting to hear how you are. You insult them by not trusting them more."

"I can't," I whispered brokenly. Kami, this was so heartbreaking. I wanted so bad to spill everything to her, but I couldn't. I didn't know how she would react. I needed to control myself and this situation. I needed…

What did I need?  
"What are you so afraid of, Akani-chan?" Kushina asked softly, taking my small hand in hers. They were so warm, and her blue was so vibrant. Like my kaa-chan's. "Talk to me. I can't help unless you talk to me."  
I shook my head, bottom lip trembling. "I want to, sensei. Kami, I want to but… I can't."  
"Why?"

"H-Hokage-sama…" I trailed off.

The silence was heavy. I think that, despite knowing what happened to me when I was younger, and knowing a little of my past, Kushina didn't realise how deeply entwined I was in the secrecy of the village. No one knew I was an Uzumaki and knew a possible future outcome for the entire _world_ besides those on a need-to-know basis, and hefty sum of the village residents didn't need to know.

Kushina didn't say anything as she rose and left, closing the door softly behind her. Despite being covered by thick hospital blankets, I felt like ice was dumped in my veins.

I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

I abused the medics when they came in to change my IV. I didn't want any more needles kept in my veins.

I'm pretty sure I was on their shit-list since they bought me dinner with no dessert.  
Some people, honestly…

I was emotionally numb most days, but today I couldn't help but fidget as Tokuma, Muta, Rin, Obito, Kakashi and – after much begging to be _silent_ – Guy stood around my bed, cramped in my hospital room. Minato and Kushina were by the door, leaving enough space to be respectful but close enough to hear what I had to say. The room was lit blue with a silencing seal. I could feel the soft invasion of the Hokage's chakra in the air and I knew he was watching through his little spy-scope-ball thing.

The Sandaime had popped in for a few minutes the day before and told me to trust my instincts and my comrades, just like Shouta-sensei said so long ago. Apparently he didn't trust me _that_ much yet.

Probably a smart move.

I licked my dry lips. "Uh… I don't really know where… where to start."

"At the beginning is usually best," Kakashi said dryly.

I shot him a weak glare, but didn't insult him. It was Guy to the rescue.

"Let her speak, Kakashi-san," he said, tone serious. I was a bit taken aback by the lack of youth in his voice.

"R-right. Well, I wanted to talk to you all about… a few facts about me. I know I haven't been fair to you all. You all have trusted me with memories and stories of your life and I thank you for trusting me. I'll admit that, for a while, I didn't trust you all because I didn't really trust anyone." I scratched the back of my head, wrinkling my nose. "I'm not making much sense, am I?"  
"You're okay, Akani-chan," Rin said softly. _We're here for you_.

I smiled a little at the unspoken support. "I guess I should say that I wasn't born in Konoha. Or Fire, for that matter. I was born in a small village on the border of Water and Wave. Don't ask me where, since I don't know. I was four when my… my parents died. My mother died to protect me from some rogue nin who attacked our home. Shortly after, I…" I trailed off, looking towards Kushina uncertainly. She gave me a short nod, giving me the go-ahead. I should have been nervous with Obito in the room, but I wasn't for some weird reason. Even knowing what was going to happen, that was _then_ and this was now. He was a different Obito. He was my Obi.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and ploughed forward. Best to get this over with. "I was abducted. I was tortured, and experimented on because of my… special… chakra."

I took a deep, shuddering breath. Rin had slapped a hand over her mouth in shock and the air was quite sombre.

"Out of sixty one kids taken, I was the only one to survive the tests." I thought it best to leave my friend out of it, since the experiment was successful in his case. "I… A few times, I let my guard down and it… hurt. I wanted to die, but I couldn't." _That wasn't an option._ "They locked away my chakra and since I'm blind without my sensing, it was… terrifying. That's why I can't… _won't_ be weak anymore because I felt so _helpless_. I didn't like it. I _still_ don't like it." I sniffled and suddenly Rin was hugging me, her tears joining mine.

"You're not alone anymore, Akani-chan," she sobbed, holding me fiercely. "Thank you for telling us."

That got a collective nod and a small sniffle from Obito who was trying to hide the fact that he was crying too. I gave him a weak smile. "Cry baby," I teased.

He choked out a laugh and the tense air dissipated. I glanced towards my teammates. I couldn't make heads or tails of their emotions from their chakra. "I'm sorry." And I meant it.

I felt better now, and wondered why I hadn't told them that sooner. "I would have told you guys first, but…"  
"Logically waiting until all of your friends were together was ideal," Muta acknowledged.

Tokuma nodded in agreement, crossing his arms.

I rolled my eyes. "Stop acting so cool, Princess."  
Obito snorted. "P-Princess?" He grinned at me.

I nodded. "Yeah, since his hair is prettier than mine."

"It is rather youthful," Guy admitted.

Tokuma scowled and 'hmphed,' dangerously close to pouting.

"Careful, Princess. Your Hyuga-ness is slipping," I teased.

"P-Princess!" Obito snickered.

"Rather royalty than a cry baby, cry baby."  
Everyone turned towards Kakashi. He raised a brow, but didn't react in any other way.

"Was… did you just try and make a joke, Kakashi?" I asked, eyeballing him. "Because that was really lame."

"Hn."  
"Oh Kami, he's turning into an Uchiha!" I cried, aghast.  
"Oi!"  
"Sorry, Obi, but you know it's true."

And all was right with the world.

"Hey, why did they want you for your chakra?"

I glanced nervously at Kushina, who once again nodded.

"Because of my heritage. Another thing I haven't been honest to you guys with," I admitted hesitantly.

"Your… heritage?" Rin asked, head cocked cutely.

"Yeah, about my clan. My name's Akani Uzumaki."  
Silence.

Until, "Eh?! You're Kushina-san's daughter?!"

Three guesses who.

I sighed, face palming. Apparently Obito had completely forgotten the part where I said 'parents' and 'dead.'

Kakashi summed it up in one word.

"Idiot."

* * *

**Akani had mild septicemia, which is a bacterial infection in the blood. It can come from ill-treated urinary tract infections or cuts that were infected with the bacterium.**

**Poor, delirious Akani-chan. She attacked Kakashi and decided to nip the problematic answers he'd try to weasel out of her in the bud.**

**Cue feels and hugs and general emotion until immaturity reigns supreme!**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I wear glasses. (*neeeeeeeerrrrrrrrdddddddddd*) lols**

**I've never been out of the country, although I ****_really_**** wanna go to Japan (no duh, right? :P) and US of A. (Any suggestions on where to visit when I stop being stingy and actually buy a plane ticket? teehee :P**

**My favorite superhero is the ever awesome Dark Knight, Batman. Self explanatory.**

**Jelly beans take a week to make.**

**M'n'M's were originally invented for soldiers in the world wars since the coating saved them from melting too much.**

**Adolf Hitler drew the original designs for the VW Beetle.**

**Honey is a natural non-perishable food item.**

**PS: Anyone get excited over the chappy title? :P ME SO EVIL! MWAHAHAHA!**


	19. What it means to be strong

**Hi there wonderful people!**

**Love the reviews, love the faves and love the follows... But most of all?  
I LOVE ****_YOU_****! :)**

**I'm so happy this fic has been well received by everyone :)**

**Now, to answer some of my minions- I mean, loyal followers:**

**Azuki Bean: Wow, such reviews, such volume! :P Thanks for your reviews! I love getting feedback. To answer a few of your questions: Akani is smart, but she can be ****_incredibly_**** dense. It's not her fault. Although her soul is old, sometimes her mentality in the Narutoverse is not. There are 61 kids instead of 60 because Akani is an anomaly in the Narutoverse (in being that she shouldn't techinally be there) and Orochi-teme took her because he saw an opportunity and took it. He's a dick like that.**

**Their genin exam was harder than Naruto's because the Hokage knew a war was gonna break out so, in my thoughts, he needed to make sure the Academy students could protect themselves. You can't command soldiers or win a war with dead subordinates.**

**DeliciousCarrot: I laughed at your name. Sorry, but it's true! :P Annnnd, yes, Akani's cellmate was Tenzo, but she doesn't know his ****_real_**** name, does she? Tenzo's not his real name, nor is Yamato. He's in ANBU so he gets code names.**

**Metalvis: Wow! Thanks for your fun facts! But... ****_so_**** not cool since you've turned me off candy bars for LIFE.**

**pyrovortex: Akani can be an idiot and not think things through. She's impulsive and hyperactive which doesn't usually equate to 'planning ahead' sometimes. :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

I was out of hospital within a week. The medics smiled tightly as I left. They were a bit sore from the whole yelling and chucking the bedpan thing but couldn't do anything about it since the Hokage was a regular visitor and that meant they were wary around me.

Wouldn't want the little blind girl to tattle, would they?

I inhaled the sweet scent of liberty. "I love the smell of freedom in the morning!"

Kushina rolled her eyes and steered me through the streets by my shoulder. "It's one in the afternoon. Don't be weird Akani-chan."  
"Don't pretend you don't love it."

"Oh yes, I simply _love_ telling people that no, you're not special, you're _special_," she cackled.

I pouted, crossing my arms. "So mean, sensei. At least I don't have a verbal tic."  
"I can't help it! …-ttebane!"

I laughed as Kushina sulked in blissful silence before she perked up. I glanced around warily. There weren't any ramen stands around that I knew of so why… ?

"Mikoto-chan!"

Ah. That's why.

"Oh, and Itachi-chan too!"

I snapped my head towards the approaching Uchiha. I hadn't seen Itachi since that day ages ago in the park. He'd be – I counted my fingers – three now. I felt myself stiffen a little. Itachi was four and on the battlefield for the war, which meant that it would be announced publicly anytime soon. I hadn't been paying much attention lately and secretly cursed myself.

Maybe Kushina was right.

I was ignoring the inevitable signs of the incoming shit-storm around me. Speaking of the war, I hadn't even thought to ask about the fate of the Iwa chunin I sealed away.

Wow. Now I felt bad.

I didn't even realise that Mikoto and Itachi had joined us and everyone was silent. I blinked. Had someone asked me something? "Uh… maybe…?"

The adults shared a chuckle and I shrunk a little, feeling like an idiot.

"Forgive her. She just got out of hospital," Kushina said airily. I stiffened, narrowing my eyes at my sensei. What was she up to? "And now we're on our way to have a nice, _healthy_ lunch. Would you like to join us?"  
"Of course, Kushi-chan. Itachi-chan, are you hungry?"  
"Yes, mother."  
I stared at Itachi blankly. The last time I'd heard his voice was when he was gurgling my name. Now he sounded so… polished. It was weird. He looked towards me and I saw his chakra quiver a little. He was uncomfortable with me staring.

Time to break the tension.

I pointed to him. "You're Itachi-chan?"  
"… Hai."

I squealed and dove for him, wrapping my arms around him. I rubbed my cheek against his, ignoring the fact that his hand was creeping towards a hidden kunai in his shorts. "Oh, Ita-chan! You're all grown up! Last time I saw you, you were a midget trying to say my name! Now you're a slightly taller midget! So cute!"

"Please put me down."

"Not until I catch up on two years worth of hugs!"

He was uncomfortable since I guessed only his mother hugged him and that was usually in private, but, well… I wasn't his mother, and he was so freaking adorable!

"Akani-chan," Kushina sighed wearily. "Put Itachi-chan down."  
"No!" I pouted, hugging him tighter.

"… he's turning blue."

I blinked before noting I _was_ holding him awfully tight. I released him and he tried to compose himself quickly. It saddened me to see a three year old act like an adult, but I really couldn't judge. A lot of kids were forced to grow up sooner than they wanted, myself included.

Though I generally ignored the status quo.

I'd just _hugged _an _Uchiha_ in _public_, for Kami's sake. I must have broken a sacred law or something, surely. The Uchiha joined us Uzumaki for a picnic lunch with freshly made bento's – déjà vu, anyone? – and Itachi stuck close to his mother and as far from me as possible. That made me a little depressed.

The park was unusually crowded, children screaming and racing around playing ninja or tag. I noticed Itachi was an awkward onlooker, like he didn't know how to handle himself around other's his age. This was like Kakashi all over again. He was a kid, and he must have secretly wanted to join in but he needed to uphold some cock-and-bull clan decorum.

Screw that.

"Hey Ita-chan, wanna play?"

He jumped a little, as if surprised that I was even talking to him. He glanced towards his mother who gave a small, encouraging smile and a nod. How horrible that he would have to ask for permission to act his age.

He faced me, said 'okay' and walked stiffly towards the playground and screaming children. I giggled a little and jogged to catch up to him. He was surprisingly swift for a three year old. "You know, I don't really like screaming kids so… how about me play a game of tag?"  
"Tag?"  
I smiled brightly. "Yeah, only _ninja_ style. You know how to tree jump, right?" He nodded. I had to speak to Itachi in training terms, make him think this game was training while getting him to loosen up at the same time. "Awesome! We'll stick to the tree line so Mikoto-san and Kushina-sensei can see us, but we'll show these amateurs how to play tag like a boss, agreed?"  
He nodded, a little confused at my lingo, but meh. I planned on helping him loosen up and act himself, to be someone he could trust and talk to in the future. I darted forward to poke him shoulder. "You're it! Catch me if you can!"

I cackled as I dove for cover, being chased around the park like a maniac by a three year old. The Uchiha clan must really push their kids if Itachi is as serious as he is at this age. No wonder he would make ANBU by thirteen.

The ickle genius managed to herd me towards a group of kids who I had to acrobatically manoeuvre around to avoid. Unfortunately that led me to the sandpit and I wasn't ready for the change in terrain. I tripped over and ate dirt, literally.

Gross.

A small hand tapped my head. "You are it." And Itachi was gone again.

I growled. How humiliating. I could hear Kushina's boisterous laugh from halfway across the park. I'd never live this down. I leapt to my feet and dusted myself off, stretching my senses. I panicked after a few seconds when I realised I couldn't find him, only to realise he must have been suppressing his chakra.

How extraordinary.

I finally found him hiding in a bush near a group of older kids, though still a few years younger than me. Probably Academy students. I smirked and disappeared into the trees, circling back around so I could blind side him. It didn't even occur to me that I was thinking like a ninja trying to flank an enemy and not an eight year old playing tag.

I landed silently on the tree branch directly above the little cutie, smothering an evil laugh as I stepped off. I dropped and landed right behind him, making him whirl around and glare at me impassively. Slightly creepy how he could make me feel younger and more inexperienced than him.

I grinned, about to tag him when I noted he was breathing a little hard. Well, duh, he was only three and probably had never run around so much outside of training before – which he probably did earlier that day anyways.

I immediately felt bad and lowered my arm. "Sorry, Ita-chan, I didn't realise how tired you were."  
"I am not tired."  
I eyeballed his depleted chakra. He'd been subconsciously using it to enhance his muscle strength, I guessed. "A-huh," I drawled, completely unconvinced. "Why don't we take a break?"

"I am fine."  
"Of course you are," I nodded, "But I'm older than you and old people always get tired quick."

"… you're not old."  
"Aw! Thank you, young whippersnapper!" I cooed. "Come on, Ita-chan, I wanna show you something cool!" I turned around and lowered myself so he could jump onto my back. I glanced over my shoulder with a raised brow when he didn't move. "You okay?"  
"I should be getting back to mother," he said slowly, as if wondering if that's what he _wanted_ and not what he should do.

"It'll only take a minute, I swear," I prompted.

He hesitated before climbing onto my back, looping his small arms around my neck. I gripped his thighs to keep him steady. "Ready, Ita-chan?"

He nodded. I grinned and pumped chakra to my legs, leaping high into the air to latch onto a tree branch. It made my cheeks hurt to hear his small hitch of breath. I barely landed before I was taking off again, clearing a good distance in seconds.

"What did you want to show me?" I heard him ask over the sounds of rustling leaves, creaking branches and the breeze.

"No spoilers!" I chirped. "You'll see soon enough."

I bounced for a little longer until finally slowing down to a stop on a rather large tree branch relatively close to the ground. Itachi slid from my back to stand beside me. I placed a finger to my lips and parted a large, thick spray of leaves to show him what was on the other side.

A bird's nest, complete with momma bird and a handful of squeaking babies.

Itachi craned his neck to peer through the foliage from underneath my arm. "They're cute, aren't they?" I smiled.

"Mhmm."

The sound of our voices alerted the mother and she ruffled her feathers, squawking at us. I gently replaced the leaves, cutting the nest from view. I plonked down on my butt, patting the space beside me for Itachi to sit. He did so. I swung my legs back and forth in the air childishly. "Why did the momma bird squawk at us?" I asked in my best 'sensei' voice.

"Because she was protecting her babies," he answered, sounding as if _I_ was the three year old.

I nodded. "And if we got too close, what would she do?"  
"She would have most likely attacked."  
"Why?"

He blinked. "It is in her nature to protect her babies."

"That's right, despite knowing that we're bigger and could kill her she would have fought regardless. Now, replace the momma bird with yourself, the babies as the village and us as the enemy and what do you get?"  
"A similar scenario." He sounded intrigued now, not quite knowing what point I was trying to make. To be honest I was saying most of this stuff off the top of my head. I knew the point I wanted to make, though.

"Not necessarily," I hummed. He cocked his head to the side and I resisted the urge to squeeze him again. So. Freaking. _Adorable!_ "Think about it like this; the momma bird has one of two options to choose from. Fight or flight. Both equally possible for her to do, but she stays. She chose fight. You were right about it being in her nature, but some don't stay, choosing self preservation over their own offspring."  
"That's… cruel," Itachi frowned.

"Maybe, but it makes sense from a detached perspective. The momma leaves so she can have better luck at raising another nest in the future to protect the species. There will _always_ be continuation, even if the nest is gone, _but_ she has a strong willpower since she stayed to protect what was important to her." I glanced at the young boy to see he was deep in thought.

I wanted to ingrain in him the thought that his clan isn't the be all and end all of his life. They were his family, yes, but they were a part of a whole and played a vital part in village security. The village – or rather, the idea of Konoha – was vital for people to feel safe, and order to reign. Buildings could be rebuilt, but if the idea of Konoha was gone, we'd be set straight back into the Warring Era.

"Shinobi protect and serve the village," I murmured, knowing I had his attention. "Shinobi fight so that others don't have to. We take on the burden of being strong to lift the weak to ensure the continuation of life and prosperity for our loved ones and comrades. I became a kunoichi so I could protect my home and all my precious people that live within. They may not be blood, but I love them all the same. Do you understand what I'm trying to say, Ita-chan?"

"… Hai."

And I smiled warmly at him, because he did. He really was amazing.

Tia's memories of him didn't do him enough justice.

I ruffled his hair and laughed when I saw him pout a little. "Naw, did Akani-chan mess up Itachi-sama's hair?" That earned me a small, barely perceptible smile but I felt like I won the lottery.

I stood and grabbed his arms, swinging him onto my back in a smooth movement. He didn't protest. We leapt through the trees in silence as we headed back towards Kushina and Mikoto. During the time of our game of tag and weird one-sided heart to heart the park had almost emptied, though there was one chakra signature I didn't recognise talking to the adults. I landed nimbly on the ground and Itachi wriggled from my back and ran towards his mother and the stranger. He couldn't have been older than me.

His chakra felt young, but intense. Not as intense as mine but…

I blinked. Huh. Itachi's and the stranger's chakra were kinda similar, now that they were standing next to each other. Another Uchiha?

I meandered over, hands threaded behind my head. Kushina beckoned me forward but I simply grinned and slowed my pace.

She growled and I knew I'd be in for a world of pain during training tomorrow, but that was okay. I enjoyed the little things and Kushina tended to hold a sadistic grudge over said little things sometimes.

As I approached I heard Mikoto ask Itachi if he had fun.

"Hai, mother. Akani-san is…" he trailed off.

"Amazing? Awesome? Incredible? Your bestest friend _evah_?" I provided with a cheeky grin.

The new addition frowned, squinting at me. "Who're you?"  
I grinned. "I'm so glad you asked!" I began to hop sideways on one foot like how Jiraiya did whenever he introduced himself. "All the way from Konoha, my name is the ever wonderful, beautiful Ak-ow!" Kushina planted a fist in my skull and I dropped on my ass. I winced, rubbing my sore head. "I didn't even get to the best part!" I whined.

Mikoto was smiling behind a hand while Itachi and the stranger openly gawked, though for Itachi it was more like a slight tilt of the head.

"Naw, Ita-chan, you're so cute when you're confused!" I squealed, snatching him up for a hug. He simply sighed, resigning himself to his fate. I grinned broadly. He _was_ a fast learner!

"Um… Mikoto-sama? Should we, I dunno, rescue Itachi-chan?"

"I think he's perfectly fine, Shisui-kun."

I almost dropped Itachi. _This_ little weirdo was Shisui? I placed Itachi to the side and stepped right into Shisui's personal space, scrutinising him. "Hm…"

"W-what are you doing?" he asked nervously.

"Inspecting," I replied. "Can I touch your face?"  
He blinked. "What?"

"I'll take that as a yes!" His hands caught my wrists before I could even lift them. "Aw, you're no fun. Ita-chan's cooler than you. He let me touch his face."  
"I did?" Itachi asked, sounding a little bewildered. "When?"  
"That's neither here nor there," I answered blithely. "The point is that you're cooler than Shisui-chan."  
Shisui's eyebrow twitched. "-chan?"  
"Yeah, since you're so _delicate_."

"What?" he gaped. "How am I delicate?"  
"You wouldn't let me feel your face."  
"_Why do you want to feel my face?!_"

I shrugged. "Seemed like something cool to do." By now, Kushina was openly laughing, leaning heavily on Mikoto who was giggling in a lovely manner.

Shisui eyed me, before turning to his younger cousin. "Stay away from crazy people, Itachi-chan."  
"But I like spending time with you, Shisui-san," the young boy replied seriously.

My lips twitched and my face turned red from the effort not to laugh. Wow. Itachi was pretty quick witted and apparently that was completely out of character if the wide-eyes Shisui was sporting was anything to go by.

I held up my fist for Itachi to pound, which he did so after a moment's pause. I felt awesome. Just for kicks, I poked my tongue out at Shisui. "He likes me better."  
"He does not!"

"Does too!"  
"Does not!"  
"Does too!"  
"Does not! _And who are you?!_"

"I'm so glad yo-eep!" I ducked a roundhouse kick from my sensei, laughing as she cracked her knuckles. "Alright! Geez! My name's Akani, Kushina-sensei's favourite student."  
"You wish, brat."  
"Mou, denial will give you wrinkles, sensei."

"Why you little-"

"She's right, Kushi-chan," Mikoto input with a smirk. "Grey hairs, too."  
I almost sagged with relief when Kushina's attention was directed away from me. My smart-ass attitude was gonna be the death of me someday and I'd like to live to see twenty. Hell, I'd like to see _ten_.

Itachi, Shisui and I watched on in growing amusement as Kushina began to gesture wildly with her hands as Mikoto remained the picture of calm. You'd never guess they were mercilessly teasing each other unless you were actually there to hear it.

"You're weird," Shisui told me bluntly, still not looking at me.

"Yup."  
"You're a genin."  
"Yup."  
"Me too."  
"Cool."  
"I'm seven."  
"I'm eight."

"… Itachi likes me better."  
I grinned. "You wish."

"This means war, you know," he said, looking me straight in my sunglass-covered eyes.

I smirked, flinging an arm over his shoulders. Thankfully he was the same height as me. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, Shisui-chan."

* * *

Itachi glanced between everyone before sighing and taking a few steps back.

He'd rather not catch insanity.

* * *

"I hate him!" I roared, gripping at my already sore scalp. It was a wonder I wasn't bald.

"Who?" Obito asked, genuinely confused.

I rounded on him. "Your stupid cousin, Shisui!"

I hadn't taken him seriously when he said that we now had a rivalry over Itachi's attention. That was shot to hell when I was randomly stink-bombed leaving the training grounds after a vigorous training session with my team. From then on it had been rotting fish hidden in between clothing drawers and rainbow hair-dye in shampoo bottles.

Kami bless my ability to sneak, gather intel and avoid Shisui's chakra signature. One thing I learned, though, was that he was a quick little bugger. I almost got caught after gluing his shoes to his bedroom floor but I was happy to say that I managed to stick around and enjoy the show.

Poor little guy got a nice shiner from that one.  
"Oh. What did he do?" Obito asked, genuinely confused.

"I don't have proof that it was him _exactly_, but I _know_ he's somehow behind _all_ my bad luck today!"

My gathered friends – minus Kakashi who was off doing 'important chunin stuff' which was code for 'I'd rather be roasted alive than spend time with you' and Rin who was taking on more lessons at the hospital – sighed in unison. It was late afternoon and everyone had finished training and since it was a rare day that all of our teams were in the village we decided to loiter around an empty training ground, simply relaxing and soaking in the warmth of spring. I hmphed and crossed my arms. I hadn't been going on about how annoying Shisui was _that_ much.

Had I?

"You are just clumsy," Tokuma said drolly from his seated position at the base of an oak tree. "Do not blame someone else for your unco-ordination."

I bared my teeth at him. "Shut up, Princess! No one asked you!" He merely smirked. I clenched my jaw until it hurt. "And I'm not clumsy! One moment the way through the market square was clear, then the next there was a trip wire and so help me, I know it was Shisui! My pay was docked since I landed on those stupid oranges and it's all his fault!"

"What purpose does this Shisui-san have in riling you up and making you yell most unyouthfully?" Guy asked in between sit-ups. "And how do you know it was he?"

"Because he's a little sadist in the making and is _totally_ jealous of how much ickle Ita-chan loves me more than him. Plus he's an Uchiha so being an ass is genetic."

"Oi!"  
"Save for random baka's like Obi."  
"Thank yo- _hey_!"

I snickered. "Seriously, though, today has been one of the worst days of my life!" Overly theatrical and wholly untrue but meh. I felt like being melodramatic. I began ticking off the bad things that had happened since not twelve hours before. "A water pipe in the apartment above me burst and ruined my ceiling and warped my floor. My favourite pair of pants ripped right up the ass seam during training and Kushina-sensei laughed at me and took a picture. The tailor has a week wait on new clothing and nowhere else sells shit I like. I squashed an old lady's oranges after tripping on a wire and got whacked over the head with her walking stick-" cue Obito's muffled snort, "-and on top of that _Obi singed my hair with his stupid, wayward Fire jutsu that he shouldn't have been practicing anyways!_" I glared murderously in his direction while said Uchiha whistled innocently. "And Rinny had to work late at the hospital, so she can't fix it up for me and you're all dudes so you have no idea what to do!" I finished whining and dropped into a depressed crouch, wrapping my arms around myself. "And you call _me_ useless? Ha! Stupid baka boys don't know what to do. Hopeless…"  
"We are still within hearing distance, Akani-san" Muta provided.

"I know."

Guy finished his sit-ups and began punching the crap out of a nearby tree. "Fear not, Akani-chan! Tomorrow is a glorious new day and you shall conquer it with all the youthfulness of a springtime lotus in bloom!"

I sighed. It's kinda scary how I understood 'Guy-speak.' "Thanks Guy," I replied dryly. "But I'd rather just wallow in my misery for a little longer. Thanks for listening to me, by the way," I added thoughtfully towards the boys.

"We only stayed because you threatened to seal us here against our will if we refused," Tokuma snapped.

I shrugged. "Pot_ay_to, Pot_ah_to."

Muta stood from his inspection of a stick insect that had been crawling over him moments before. "It is getting late and I have other plans that require my immediate attention."

I heard the soft gurgle of his stomach and I giggled. "Go keep Mr. Tummy happy, Muta-kun!"

He gave a stiff nod out of embarrassment and disappeared. Tokuma didn't bother to explain himself. He simply stood, gave a nod in my direction and left. Guy switched from punches to kicks, dusting a few splinters of wood off his sleeve.

"Would you like to stay and train, Akani-chan? It will be most youthful!"

I paled. I did _not_ want to be training alone with Guy any more than necessary and judging by the way Obito was backing away slowly told me he would bolt before Guy could ask him too, leaving me to fend for myself.

The traitor.

"A-ah, oh? What's that I hear? Kushina-sensei is calling for me, Guy-kun! I'll catch ya tomorrow!" I spun on my heel and sprinted for the training ground exit, nabbing Obito's arm on the way.  
"H-hey! Ouch, Akani-chan! What-"

"Shut up and follow me or I'll leave you to fend for yourself against the embodiment of youth," I snarled. He wisely shut up and allowed me to drag him away. He was out of breath by the time we reached the village centre. Various scents from the myriad of restaurants open for dinner made me salivate.

Unfortunately Kushina's voice echoed through my head, telling me that I needed to eat healthier. I slumped with defeat. Obito saw but didn't comment. He was used to my weird, bi-polar-ishness by now. "This sucks!"  
Obito looked at me quizzically. "I thought you _wanted_ to get away from Guy-san?"

"Not that, baka! Kushina-sensei is on my case ever since I got out of hospital. Even Minato-san conveniently 'drops by' when I'm about to sneak out and grab some ramen or BBQ. I'm still alive, aren't I? I can take care of myself!"

"Well, yeah, but I think they have a right to be worried. I mean, you _were_ in hospital for a blood-sickness-thingy and on top of that all that crap you went through when you were a kid with the exp-"

I slapped my hand over his mouth harshly. "Can we _not_ announce that to the world?" I hissed, turning my head left and right as if to listen for eavesdroppers. "You were there when Kushina-sensei and Minato-san said the words 'utmost secrecy,' right? I remember you being there!"

"'m s'rry!," came the muffled reply. I nodded and dropped my hand. "But I guess they have a right to be worried. You looked half-dead, Akani-chan. It was scary."

I sighed, slinging an arm around Obito. He sounded so helpless and it tugged at my heart. He really was a kind kid. I was definitely pro 'pre-war' Obito. He didn't get enough credit in my opinion. "If I looked that bad then lucky I'm blind, ne?" I joked weakly. He glared at me with no real heat but didn't shrug me off. "Come on, Obi. Let's go see if Mikoto-san has any of her famous mochi left!"  
He perked up, nodding vigorously. He'd been slightly surprised to find that I knew the Uchiha matriarch but understood when he saw me interact with his younger cousin. Secretly, I thought he was a little jealous since I hugged Itachi more than him.

Against the former's will, but that was mere details.

We decided to race to the squat yet quaint home. I beat Obito badly, lounging against the doorframe as he panted up to meet me. "You… cheated, Red," he puffed.

I buffed my nails. "Oh? How so?"  
"_You tripped me!_" he pouted. I blew a raspberry and quickly knocked on Mikoto's front door when he was about to lunge for my throat.

The matriarch opened the door a few seconds later, Itachi trailing behind her curiously. His chakra brightened at seeing me though he showed no outward appearance.

"Hey, Mikoto-san!" I greet brightly. "Feed us!"  
"_Akani!_" Obito shouted, sounding mortified. "I'm so sorry, Mikoto-sama! She-"

Mikoto raised a hand to stop his protest, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's alright, Obito-kun. I have spent enough time with Kushina-chan to know her protégée might have picked up some of her habits."  
I grinned cheekily before peering around her form at Itachi. "Hey, Ita-chan! Who do you love mostest?"  
"Mother and father."  
"Oh poo, you're no fun," I teased with a wink. "You save some mochi for us poor, starving genin?"

He nodded and took my hand to drag me inside. It shocked me a little since this was the first time he'd taken the initiative to physically touch me without prompting. I didn't notice Mikoto's soft smile as she shut the door behind Obito who warily entered his clan head's home.

It wasn't the first time I'd been inside the home, but usually I remained in the entryway for Kushina to stop flapping her gums with her school friend. I knew that entryway well.

I also knew the chakra signature currently devouring some of the god-like mochi at the kitchen bench. I glared at Shisui and he openly glared back.

Obito, completely oblivious to the tension, flounced over to his cousin and ruffled his hair. "Hey, Shisui-_chan_!"

Shisui growled towards me accusingly and I ignored it, stalking the plate piled high of deliciousness currently in front of him.

"I hope there's some of your delicious mochi around, Mikoto-san," I told the older woman who entered the kitchen.

"Of course. I was about to make more. Help yourself Akani-chan, Obito-kun. Shisui-kun, chew with your mouth closed," Mikoto gently scolded.

I openly laughed at the younger boy and helped myself to the sweet dumpling, biting into it. I groaned, swallowing my disappointment and pistachio mochi. "Aw, I wanted the strawberry one."

"Then why did you pick up a green one?" Shisui taunted.

Obito glanced at me and we shared a private, knowing grin though his was tight since he did so with bulging cheeks. I shrugged. "Closed my eyes when I chose. Gotta live dangerously sometimes, ya know?"

Mikoto glanced over her shoulder and raised a delicate brow. Her chakra showed her amusement though.

"You're a shinobi," he deadpanned. "It's not exactly a peaceful profession."  
I nibbled on my dumpling. "Hm, true." I went back to devouring the treat when I noticed Itachi sitting silently at the end of the table, equal distance away from me and Shisui. Well, that wouldn't do. I shuffled a little closer to him.

Shisui, noticing what I was doing, did the same thing. I retaliated, and he followed suit. It went back and forth, moving bare inches until we had caged the young Uchiha heir between us. I glared over Itachi's head at Shisui.

"Someone's a little jealous," I taunted.

"At least I can walk without tripping over and having a fruit bath," he shot back.

I leapt to my feet, knocking my seat over and pointed at him victoriously. "Ha! I _knew_ it was you that set that trip wire! You owe me money, ya jerk!"  
"Akani-chan?" Mikoto said sweetly. "Please mind your language."  
I paled and righted my chair before sinking into it. "Gomen, Mikoto-san." I heard a slight huff next to me and I stared down at Itachi who went back to calmly chewing his mochi. "Did you just laugh at me, Ita-chan?" He shook his head, chakra shivering with glee.

That little liar.

"I was!" Shisui guffawed.  
It should have been weird how out-of-the-norm Shisui was compared to the social image of the Uchiha but I'd spent so much time around Obito that he was still pretty tame in comparison. Shisui's laughed abruptly cut off when the front door opened and a large signature entered the house.

I blinked in confusion. The air in the house snapped from light to heavy. Weird.

Footsteps sounded and Mikoto smiled as she washed her hands, drying them on a dish towel. "Welcome home, Fugaku-kun."

He said nothing as his gaze slid over to his son, two clan members and me. I would be lying if I said I met his gaze boldly and introduced myself. The head of the military police had an overwhelming aura, even to a sensor like me. It wasn't forced. He just let out a no-nonsense air that had me feeling a little nervous.

It took strong shinobi to keep other shinobi in order, after all.

"Itachi-kun, Shisui-kun, Obito-kun," he greeted each in turn with a nod of the head.

"Uchiha-sama," Shisui and Obito replied diligently while Itachi said a small, "Otou-sama."

Fugaku's gaze settled on me and I gathered the shreds of my courage to paste a smile on my face. I rose from my chair and bowed deeply. It wouldn't do to be rude in the man's home.

"Uchiha-sama," I greeted. "It's an honour to meet you. My name is Akani."  
"Akani-chan is a student of Kushina-chan's," Mikoto input. "She's a promising kunoichi."  
I blushed a little from the praise, even more so that it was coming from Mikoto. She didn't seem like the type to openly praise other's in front of her husband. It was a little disconcerting.

"Welcome to my home, Akani-chan," Fugaku noted, taking me a little by surprise with the suffix. I almost sighed out loud when his attention turned back to Mikoto. "I'm afraid this is a work-related visit."  
Mikoto was instantly worried. "Oh? Is everything alright?"  
"Hokage-sama has called for a village wide gathering at the base of the Hokage tower."

I glanced towards my friends, feeling a little faint.

I knew what was going on.

The Sandaime was about to announce the war.

* * *

I stood stiffly beside my teammates and sensei as the Hokage addressed his citizens. There was no real order to where the shinobi were to stand, as long as they heard what the village leader had to say. There were a few that were standing horizontally on telephone poles, and a few that sat on shop eaves. The civilians were on the ground or poking their heads out of the surrounding building's windows.

The air was so tense you could cut it with a blunt kunai.

It had been building for a long time, so it didn't really surprise a majority of the masses but it was hitting home for quite a few. It had felt a little taboo to even mention the word 'war' before, but now it was a stark reality.

I was scared.

Without thinking, I grabbed the closest hands next to mine and squeezed.

One was Obito's.

The other's was Kakashi's.

Neither let go and I could have sworn that, for just a moment, both squeezed back.

* * *

I picked at the grass of the training ground. My legs had gone numb a while ago from sitting cross-legged for so long, but I didn't get up. Tokuma, Muta and Kushina sat in front of me, our formation that of a loos circle.

The mood was… blank.

I guess we were just trying to let everything sink in. I sighed and laid back, crossing my arms underneath my head and stretching out my legs. Everything was changing, and it made me a little sad despite knowing that the war was coming.

It meant that my calm days were over, and things were about to be set in motion close enough to me for me to try and change. I was suddenly feeling the pressure.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked quietly, more to myself than the others.

No one answered me.

I didn't expect them to.

They were scared too.

* * *

I threw myself back into training with a vengeance, though I kept Kushina off my case by showing up on her doorstep half asleep when it was time for dinner and let Minato Hiraishin me back to my apartment. I didn't even care that that meant he planted a seal somewhere in my home.

I studied fuinjutsu with both Kushina and Minato whenever they had time and almost lived in the library. I didn't even have time to think on how the Hokage hadn't called for an audience with me in a few months.

He had bigger things to worry about, and so did I.

I was still a genin which meant that I'd be sticking around the village and surrounding towns, unlike the chunin and jonin who would be travelling to different countries for missions. Genin had a higher mortality rate than their more experienced peers, and I didn't want to be a part of a statistic. I said as much to my worried friends and noticed they'd been hitting the training grounds a lot harder too.

For a while I wracked my brain about how to be a better defensive support besides my barriers and earth jutsu. The answer literally hit me…

In the form of a giant scroll I'd shoved on top of my book shelf and completely forgot about until I jostled the shelves and it rattled my brain around my skull.

The birds circling my head were quickly replaced by a light bulb and I'd raced out towards an out of the way training ground with a storage scroll full of scrolls filled with more scrolls.

That's where Jiraiya found me on his way to peep on the bath houses; trying to dislodge sticky paper from my arms. Apparently he was passing through after checking his spy network.

"What are you doing, brat?" he asked, sounding extremely put out.  
"None of your beeswax, ero-baka," I answered, still trying to clean myself up.

He growled and punched the top of my head, sinking me into the soggy dirt. "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"  
"Ow, ow, ow! I can't seem to recall since _someone_ decided to try and give me brain damage," I snapped. "Go and peep or something."

"Hm, tempting but nah, torturing you is much more fun," he grinned. I felt like I'd just witnessed a momentous occasion. _The_ Jiraiya preferring _not_ to peep on wet, naked women? I glanced around warily.

Surely the apocalypse was nigh.

He pointed at the piles of scrolls around me. "So, care to explain?"  
"Do you plan on helping me if I do?" I retorted. He shrugged, making me sigh. "I'm trying to coat the paper with my water chakra but I can't get the amount right. The paper just gets soggy and falls to bits when I push too hard."  
"Oh? And why would you want to do that?"  
"Well," I said, licking my lips. "I read somewhere how Suna has shinobi that use a roll of cloth for ninjutsu and protective domes and I'm trying to recreate it with paper."  
Jiraiya stroked his chin in thought. "Interesting concept. Why paper and not cloth?"  
I shrugged. "I was thinking of arming the paper with a bunch of storage seals so it can be a trump of sorts. But that won't work unless I can coat the paper in water chakra and not soak it so the ink runs. It's slow going."  
"Why water chakra?"  
I shrugged again. "In case someone tried to burn my scrolls."  
"Always a possibility," he conceded, "But what if you're facing a lightning wielder? You may as well kill yourself to save the trouble. Earth is out too in case you face a water user. Eliminate elemental chakra all together and use your regular life force. Some Suna puppeteer shinobi I've seen use their chakra as shields, so I don't see why it can't be used in the same concept, only in a more flexible sense. You have plenty of life force to go around, you know."  
I blinked. "I… hadn't thought of that."

He ruffled my hair, making me grunt in annoyance. "And that's why you're the brat and I'm-"

"A pervert?" I deadpanned.

"That's _super_ pervert to _you_, missy," he drawled before freezing. "That came out wrong, didn't it?"  
"Yup."  
"… we'll never speak of this again."  
I grinned brightly, seeing an opportunity for extortion. Jiraiya groaned, knowing what my expression meant.

"Hey Jiraiya-sama?"

"… Yes, Akani-chan?" he asked wearily.

I almost laughed at how defeated he sounded. "Why don't you take a seat and give me some pointers, ne?"

I cackled as he sobbed, sinking to his butt in front of me.

"Right." I cracked my neck. "Let's do this."

* * *

It turns out the problem was the elemental chakra as well as the paper in the scrolls. It wasn't conductive enough to bend to my will. Because of how potent my chakra was, the edges of the paper would curl and become a useless wrinkled mess. It made me confused for a bit, since it was the same type of paper that I used for my fuinjutsu until I realised that the ink acted like a chakra conduit, changing how the paper was used.

I needed a higher density paper, and unfortunately that shit was expensive, especially since a few travelling merchants that had caught wind of the war upped their prices before getting an ANBU style warning or kicked out of the village for dodgy business dealings.

Thankfully I had enough dirt on Kushina and Minato to con them into getting me a giant roll of the good stuff at an amazing price.

It only cost me my consciousness in training with Tokuma and Muta the next day, but _so_ worth it. I could feel the difference in the paper the moment I touched it. The scroll was as tall as me, and twice as thick as my waist. I loved it.

I hugged it to sleep after I got it.

I, uh, just wanted to make sure nothing happened to it.

Yeah…

My training on how to control the chakra coated paper took me a few intense weeks, bending it around my taijutsu (which Guy helped with) and incorporating it into my fuinjutsu and barrier techniques. It was moments like that that I was thankful Kushina was my sensei and we managed to 'accidentally' run into Minato a few times.

The edges were coated skilfully with permanent resistance, strength and flexibility seals (which I had no idea existed until Kushina showed them to me) and at regular intervals I'd placed storage seals capable of holding shuriken, kunai, my custom exploding tags which I'd supersized for extra _boom, _various types of bombs, a medical kit since Tokuma was still pouty about learning medical jutsu as well as a few mega litres of water I'd sat under a pouring waterfall for six hours just to get.

I may be able to create water to hock super-powered lugies, but I still needed an immense amount just to create a wall or my newly mastered vortex drill.

Once everything was added I tried to heft the mass of paper onto my back, only to end up looking like a tipped over turtle. Kushina had laughed her ass off and my teammates decided to let me suffer as she took a photo for future blackmail and told me to channel chakra into my muscles so I wouldn't have a repeat.

I felt incredibly stupid for forgetting that. Guy got wind of said incident – I _still_ had to try and maim Kushina for letting that 'slip' – and dragged me out for some weight training. I used muscles I didn't even know I had and grudgingly let him strap a bunch of weights to my limbs. He'd managed to find the weights he gave me so long ago tucked away under my bed in a dusty corner.

Goody.

There was a reason they were out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. Guy would have none of it and sparred me to hell and back.

I couldn't walk properly for a week.

Team Seven was out of the village more often than not on scouting and intel missions since Kakashi was a chunin and being evaluated for the jonin position I knew he would get. Even Rin – who I hadn't managed to catch up with lately – was being scouted for a senior position at the hospital despite being a genin too.

The months passed with relative ease and I was now a year older – a healthy nine, baby! Team Two did some minor D-ranks around the village and some C-rank border patrols. It was strangely quiet despite war being declared and that's when something that I hadn't even thought about was casually mentioned during a team 'bonding' session; AKA Kushina vented her frustration by using her genin as target practice for her chakra chains and pointy weapons.

Fucking sadist.

I blinked, mouth agape. "Come again?"  
Kushina frowned at me. "I said I've nominated you all for the chunin exams. They're being held here in Konoha, and will be exclusive to our village so the exam will be tweaked a little to fit. Genin teams younger and older than you will be entering, and there's only a number of spots available for chunin in your age bracket, so… make me proud and I'll see you at the Academy for briefing tomorrow morning_, -_ttebane!"

She shoved a bunch of forms in our hands – mine in Braille – and left with a wave goodbye.

I looked at Tokuma and Muta with wide eyes.

"What just happened? Hey? Guys? Where are you- _guys!_ Don't leave without answering me! Oi, Princess! Don't pretend I don't know you're rolling your eyes!"

* * *

**Welp, another chappy down! Hope you liked it :)**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I don't laugh when I type 'lol.' I'm just sitting there... scrolling... judging. Always judging. O_O**

**I love watching crappy B-rate horror movies.**

**My usual midnight snack craving is PB&J sangas (Aussie lingo for sandwiches) but with plum jam. Om nom nom.**

**I have dark brown hair and green eyes.**

**A duck had three eyelids.**

**The electric chair was invented by a dentist.**

**Butterflies taste with their feet.**

**A group of kangaroos is called a 'mob.'**

**Broccoli and Cauliflower are the only vegies that are technically flowers.**


	20. The Chill Factor

**I'm SOOOO SORRY this is about a week due! Do you know how hard it was to try and write the freaking chunin exams and make it sound original?**

**HARD! VERY, VERY HARD!**

**So, I kinda just gave up and went with the whole 'capture the scroll' thing. Sorry, but yeah... **

**Anyways, sorry once again!**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

I was the picture of grace as I sat opposite the Hokage. I sipped my tea, humming in gratitude as the beverage warmed my insides. The illusion of calm was shattered when the tea cup clattered on the saucer from how hard I was shaking when I put it down.

The Hokage smirked over his teacup and I wholly believed he'd called me into his office simply to torture me. I huffed, my spine curling until I was comfortably hunched over resting my chin in my hand and elbow on my knee.

"The tea's good, but I doubt you called me here to talk about the weather and other mundane stuff," I sighed lazily.

The Hokage smiled a little, uncaring that I was being rude. I knew when to shut my trap and be respectful, and right now the atmosphere was pretty relaxed, which was why I was inwardly on guard.

"Hm, true. The weather doesn't interest me much, but your progress does, Akani-chan. You've been nominated for the chunin exams. Do you believe you are ready?" he asked.

I scratched my head in thought. "I guess so. I mean, my team has been growing by leaps and bounds under Kushina-sensei so it's hard to say how far we've come since the Academy. I think we'll all make chunin, though."  
"Oh? That's quite a claim."  
"The war's speeding up," I deadpanned. "I've noticed more and more higher level shinobi heading out more frequently, which can only mean that the enemy is knocking on our doorstep and _that_ in turn means Konoha needs more proficient soldiers in the field since genin are basically useless for the first few months. My team has been together for almost two years and we've racked up a nice record of completed missions."  
"Despite certain mishaps," the Hokage mused, referring to my recent Shisui-induced clumsiness.

I glared without heat as my cheeks burned. "Yeah. _Mishaps_."

The old man chuckled. "Be that as it may, I also wanted to speak to you about your… dreams."  
The way he paused before he said the word 'dreams' made me stiffen a little. "What about them?" I asked warily.

"I've had my suspicions for a while now," he answered casually. "And I know you have been… omitting the truth to a certain degree." I opened my mouth to say something when he held up a hand to stop me. "I still recall those words you said to me when the validity of your dreams were in question. You are incredibly perceptive and wise beyond your years to a degree that leaves me speechless sometimes. My student Jiraiya has also expressed his amazement during his infrequent visits to the village. My trust is not given lightly, especially to one as young as you and in such a precarious and dangerous position at that."  
I'd already known that after Sakumo's death the Hokage would keep a close eye on me. Who better to trust than his own Sannin student and future Yondaime Hokage? Not to mention the village's loyal jinchuriki who also had familial ties. I still wasn't following where he was going, though. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but what's your point?"

"There is a lot in this world we don't understand, Akani-chan, and I'm afraid that I'll never fully understand you, even after piecing together what little I know. But lately I've been wondering if that is such a bad thing."

I blinked slightly in shock, partially from him suspecting something more than just a random kid having prophetic dreams. "Um… I'm afraid I still don't fully understand, Hokage-sama." Was he… giving me an out? This stank of something fishy, but if it got me the Hokage's blessing so I could do good work then I'm all for it.

"You've become an interesting kunoichi, Akani-chan, and people have taken notice." His voice was a little emotionless at the mention of that last bit. I paled, thoughts immediately focusing on Danzo. "A number of respectable figures within the village have expressed interest in you becoming their student once you become a chunin. That is, if Kushina-san believes she has nothing left to teach you."

"L-like who, Hokage-sama?" I winced at my stutter.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until you become chunin," he answered wryly. "But, a piece of advice?"  
"Hai?"  
"At least try to show a hint of tact that you Uzumaki are seemingly incapable of during the exams. There will be people watching."

My reply was a sheepish laugh as I internally fainted from horror.

_Way to omit the important details, ya bastard._

* * *

The Hokage and I eventually started to chat about the weather and stuff before I got bored and he got annoyed. To be honest, the prospect of tomorrow was freaking me the hell out. Chunin? Was I ready to try and become a chunin?  
If I did go up a tier, would Kushina still want to teach me, or would she leave me to fend for myself against the manipulative bastard of a village elder?

I hoped not.

Kushina was _my_ sensei, and I don't think I'd be able to give others the same amount of respect I give her. She's family, and my kaa-chan taught me to never abandon family, to protect love.

Kushina was family and I loved her for it, and I felt selfish once more because her future was bleak despite leaving behind a bouncy bundle of legacy and I knew what would happen. But… Naruto was the only one capable of becoming friends with the Kyuubi. Kushina more or less ignored her tenant since I'd never once sensed any type of demonic energy coming off her when she meditated.

She probably checked the seal in private.

I was bought out my musings by a violent knock to the face, planting me on my ass. I growled, fully prepared to rip whoever knocked me over a new asshole – despite me not having been paying attention – when I recognised my door.

I'd run into it.

I flushed from embarrassment and hastily dusted myself off, entering my apartment and shutting the door behind me. I groaned.

"Kami, Akani, you're an idiot," I spoke aloud.

"No surprises there, Red!"  
I blinked before flaring my chakra. "Obi! What the hell are you doing here?! _And stop eating my food!_"  
Obito swallowed a mouthful of noodles and broth, smiling brightly at me from my small dining room table. "Food always tastes better when it's not yours," he chirped. "Look! I was even a good friend and made you some, too!"

"Oh yes," I drawled sarcastically. "You're practically a saint, eating me outta house and home." I plonked myself opposite him and dragged the noodles towards me. I inhaled, smiling a little. Beef miso. My favourite.

"So, what _are_ you doing here?" I asked after slurping down a mouthful.

Obito shrugged. "I was bored."

I narrowed my eyes at him. His chakra was rippling, like he was lying but wasn't. So, he was bored, but that could also be translated to 'lonely.' And… tomorrow was the chunin exam, which I had no doubt Obito was going to take.

"You're nervous about the exams tomorrow," I stated, taking a shot in the dark.

Obito blinked before laughing falsely. Bingo. "What? Psh, heck no, Red! Obito Uchiha isn't scared of anything! Especially some stupid chunin examination that will only be infinitely more difficult than the genin exam and there's a higher possibility I could fail miserably and Rin will never notice me and Kaka-teme will never let me live down my failure and Minato-sensei will be so disappointed that he drops me from the team and the Hokage won't let me stay a ninja and-"

I leapt from my chair and slapped him across the face, shocking him into silence. "Calm your shit, Obi. You'll be fine. Did you ever think that you might unlock your Sharingan during the exam?"  
He instantly brightened, leaping to his feet, finger pointed to the sky. "Oh, hells yeah! Then I'll beat Kaka-teme and be the best ninja ever!"  
I laughed at the quick attitude-180. "Yeah, Obi. I have no doubt. See? It's just another stupid exam. All we have to do is show the higher-ups that we have the qualities of a chunin, which is basically thinking ahead. Though I can see why you were worried about _that_."  
"Oi! As if you can talk!"  
"I _am_ talking, Obi. Can't you see my mouth moving?"  
"_Ya know what I mean!_"

There was a knock on the door, making me frown. I was surely popular today. I answered it, a little shocked to see who was on the other side. I counted Rin, Guy, Tokuma, Muta and – to my unending surprise – Shisui.

I glanced between them all before settling on the youngest of the group. "Isn't it past your bedtime, Shisui-chan?"  
He growled before shoving past me. He gave my apartment a cursory glance. "Your apartment is… tiny."  
"So am I, _Your Highness_," I said, eyebrow twitching a little. Goddamn I hated being a midget.

Rin giggled and gave me a small hug. "I'm sorry I haven't seen you in a while, Akani-chan. The hospital's been crazy busy."  
"Aw, that's okay Rinny. At least someone simply comes over because they _want_ to see me, and not eat all my food." I pointedly glared at Obito who was too busy blushing at Rin and scuffing his foot on the ground. I rolled my eyes. "Come on in. Rinny, did you want to make tea?"  
She nodded enthusiastically and bee-lined for the kitchenette. Tokuma and Muta entered cautiously. They'd been to my place before, but it wasn't a very good experience. It may or may not have involved an unfinished, sloppily sketched shock seal on my part and a horrible case of the hiccups and static-afro's for my teammates once they got zapped.

I was chased by Gentle Fist strikes and kikaichu a lot that day.

"You can relax, guys," I told them. "Everything is put away in prep for the exam tomorrow."

They relaxed, but only just. Guy happily bounced inside, noting that I'd made a few changes to the place. Namely the amount of scrolls, brushes and ink-pots littering the place.

"Oh! Your apartment is still as wonderfully youthful as ever, Akani-chan! Such dedication! I have no doubt that you will pass the examination tomorrow!" With that he entered and headed straight for a free patch of floor to do some squats. Fitness freak. Shisui shot me a horrified look, as if he'd never met someone so youthful and colourful before.

I shrugged, unrepentant and shut the door with a loud snap, grinning evilly when Shisui tried valiantly to suppress a shudder and backed slowly away from Guy.

"Uh, Red?" Obito asked, drawing my attention. "Why is Rin-chan making the tea? That's not exactly proper etiquette."  
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "Uh, well… Rin's tea is like Kami's liquid gift and mine is like boiled burnt-leaf stew." Cue the collective shudder. I nodded. "Exactly. Ergo, Rinny makes the tea. Plus she doesn't mind, do you Rinny?"

She was in the 'tea-zone,' happily flitting about boiling water and gathering a mixture of the tea leaves I had hidden away somewhere. Point proven and taken.

"Woah!" I heard Shisui exclaim before whirling on me. "Your window view is _awesome_!" I shrugged, making him gape. "How can you not care about this view? You can see the monument, and the gates all the way over there. Hell, you can see the Hokage tower too!"  
My lips twitched. "I guess I don't appreciate it as much as you do."

He eyeballed me before glaring at the others, namely his snickering cousin. "You're weird, Akani-san."  
"Yup, but that's why Ita-chan loves me more."

"Does not!"  
"Does too!"  
"_Does not!_"  
"_Does too times infinity plus one!_"

"Children!" Obito scolded, bopping us both on the head. "That's enough!"  
I swept his legs from under him, making him land hard on his ass. "Like you're one to talk, you man-child!"  
"I_ am_ talking, Red. Can't you see my mouth moving?" he taunted, throwing my words back at me.

I ground my teeth, twitching a little as he laughed and gave Shisui a high five. I stalked over to Rin and hovered as she made the tea, humming quietly.

She was such a momma-bird.

"Why are boys so stupid, Rinny?" I cried dramatically, slumping onto her shoulder. "So much stupid can't be healthy!"

She pat my head, smiling a little deviously. "Which is probably why you're sick all the time, Akani-chan."  
"_Traitor!_"

Moments later we were all lounged about my already cramped apartment, marvelling at Rin's amazing tea-brewing skills though Obito was going a little over the top by running his mouth – _When I become Hokage I'll hire you as my professional tea-maker!_ – and flustering the crap out of his female crush-slash-teammate – _Benefits included!_

I punched him for that suggestive one. He can be so innocently dense sometimes. Rin was a medic, and therefore knew a lot about human physiology and she couldn't really be shy in her line of work. Still didn't mean she couldn't glow red like a hot light bulb, though.

"So, can anyone tell me why everyone suddenly decided to make my place _the_ place to hang out?" I asked.

"Tokuma-san and I agreed that we should discuss a number of tactics we could possibly employ for the chunin examinations tomorrow," Muta said, adjusting his sunglasses. Tokuma nodded in agreement, looking every bit the polished Hyuga he was as he sipped his tea.

What a Princess.

I raised a brow but didn't comment on the fact I knew he was lying. Muta was a hard one to read. Hell, Tokuma was too but after being with them for so long I could read and speak 'Aburame' and 'Hyuga' and right now I was calling bullshit. But I supposed I could wait and watch for now.

I looked towards Rin who gave a delicate shrug, making Obito sigh happily but that was ignored. "I haven't seen you in a while and thought that we could perhaps catch-up, have a girls night or something."

"Kay. What about you, Guy-san?"

He answered in between lunges. "As your occasional sparring partner I believed it prudent to come and see if you were adhering to a healthy schedule of exercise and diet, especially since you spend a most unyouthful amount of time alone! One must take care of the temple which is their body!"

I nodded while the other's had a slightly glazed look about them. It was kinda sad how I was able to follow that. I bypassed Obito. I suspected his reason for being here – in that he was nervous as shit for tomorrow and didn't want to be nervous alone – and that was shared by the majority present. Which just left…

"And you, Shisui-chan? Don't think you can try and plant some paint bombs or something in my home without me noticing. I've learned my lesson."  
"I wanted to declare a truce, and… talk to you, I guess. About Mikoto-sama and Ita-chan! Because they haven't seen you in a while and… yeah, I mean… and other stuff, too… I guess," he mumbled the last bit low enough for everyone to hear. I guessed was embarrassed to say as much out loud, but he and Obito were exceptions to the Uchiha image. They smiled openly and laughed – mostly at me – and I was happy to say I considered them dear friends. But whatever Shisui wanted to talk to me about must have been serious since his entire life revolved around the Police and the clan. It made me curious, that's for sure.

"We can talk later," I offered. He gave a relieved nod. "So," I drew out. "Why are you all _really_ here?" I received blank stares. I chuckled. "Excited for the chunin exams tomorrow?"  
The collective genin – save Shisui – paled a little. "Everyone organised?"  
"This coming from the most unorganised kunoichi to come out of the Leaf?" Tokuma sneered weakly.

I bared my teeth. "Shut up, Princess! And besides, I'm organised!" He pointedly stared around my messy apartment. "It's organised mess! Don't judge me!"

"Such a peculiar oxy_moron_," Muta input monotonously, teasing in his weird Aburame-ish way.

I gaped at him. "Don't you start too!"  
"Akani-chan merely shows her youthfulness in other ways!" Guy input.

"Thank you!" I cried, throwing my hands up.

"Though I quite agree that her apartment is a potential fire hazard," he finished.

I groaned. "Way to be a 'team player,' Guy-san."  
He gave me a thumbs up. "Thank you for your wonderfully heart warming words, Akani-chan!"  
"_It wasn't a compliment!_"

"You're all crazy," Shisui deadpanned, making me smile broadly.

"Eccentric, Shisui-chan. We're _eccentric_."

"Eccentric is just a nicer way of putting it," he pointed out.

"True. But it sounds cooler. _Eccentric._ Say it with me, Shisui-chan; _eccentric_."

He shuffled further away from me and I counted that as a personal victory. I cocked my head to the side when a chakra signature brushed my mid-range but didn't come any closer. No one else seemed to notice it. I stood and held out my hands for everyone's empty teacups, dumping them in the sink to clean up for later before heading to the door.

"Where are you going, Akani-chan?" Rin asked.

I smiled over my shoulder. "Anyone want gorigori-kun?"

"Oh! Oh! Me!" Obito shouted, waving his arms in the air. The rest simply nodded.

When Rin went to get up and accompany me I stopped her. "Seriously, it's about time I start being a good host, so I thought getting everyone something sweet would make up for my crappy tea-making skills."  
She sunk down reluctantly and I gave her a smile. "Be right back. Make yourselves at home. What's mine is yours," I finished with a dramatic bow before sweeping out the door, closing it firmly behind me. I paused before opening it back up to glare pointedly at Obito who was caught in the middle of sneaking towards the kitchen to raid the fridge. "Except for my special stash of Udon in the fridge. That's _mine_." I closed the door again in his downtrodden face.

I rubbed my hands together and headed towards the chakra signature shrinking as they darted across a rooftop opposite. "Right. Chase it is, then."

I swung myself onto the roof and gave chase. Iced sweeties would have to wait for now.

* * *

The moment the door closed Shisui started to snoop. He'd never stayed so long inside Akani's apartment before and _now_ he was there with permission. He headed straight for the near overflowing bookshelf, brows furrowed as he stared at the blank book spines.

He gingerly took one and cracked it open, blinking in surprise at the blank pages only marred by a series of raised dots he'd never seen before.

He glanced back at the older genin. "Is Akani-san studying to become a cryptologist? She doesn't seem to have the patience for it."

He narrowed his eyes when they all shared a small, private grin of varying degrees. It was the girl, Rin, who answered.

"Something like that, Shisui-kun."

He placed the book back where he found it, feeling like he was missing something.

And he didn't like not knowing.

The war was back on, only this time is was one-sided; observe and record.

* * *

"So… fast," I huffed, pumping a bit more chakra into my legs to clear a particularly large gap over the main street to land on a sloped roof before taking off again. I followed my quarry to a training ground closest to the village. Apparently it was well lit at night. Not that _I _would know. "Oh thank Kami you stopped," I whined, hands on my knees to suck in some air. I'd had an emotionally trying day.

"Why did you follow me?"  
"Why were you spying on the little impromptu get-together at my place and not knock on the door?" I countered. I walked towards the training log Kakashi was throwing kunai at and, uncaring of the 'danger,' sat on top in a lotus position. "You're more than welcome to join us, you know. You don't have to train all the time. Besides, your teammates are there."  
"No thanks," Kakashi said dryly. A kunai landed dead centre of the log with a _thunk_.

I shrugged. "Your loss."  
"Why do you do that?" he asked, frustrated, getting out of stance.

I blinked. "Do what?"  
"Act so… casual about everything? You don't take anything seriously and tomorrow you'll be in the chunin examination. It's not easy, you know. You will fail."

"Naw, is Kashi-chan worried about me?" I teased. He didn't reply. I sighed and rested my chin on my interlocked fingers. "I know the chunin exam is going to be hard, but I won't know exactly _how_ hard until I do them. I think I'm ready, and so does Kushina-sensei. She'd never put us in harm's way intentionally."  
"Doesn't she frequently use you and your teammates as target practice?" Kakashi deadpanned.

"… point. But not the one I was trying to make. I may not be a prodigy like you, or full of determination like that baka Obito but I have to at least try. I think I deserve that much, at least."  
"A shin-"

"So help me, Kashi-chan, if you start sprouting off shinobi rules I'll make it so you won't wake up for a week!" I growled, closing the short distance between us in a flash, my fist hovering near his face and glowing with my chakra.

He gave a shallow nod and I relaxed once more, shoving my hands into my pants pockets. Kinda ironic how this asinine Kakashi would become the world famous lazy pervert.

We stood in companionable silence that I was sure only I felt. Kakashi was a little too rigid to be fully relaxed and continued throwing his kunai, only pausing to retrieve them and begin the process all over agian. I nudged his shoulder with my own which resulted in a frosty glare my way. I made him miss dead centre. Oh well. "You know, Obito's been bragging about how close he's coming to hitting you during your spars." He scoffed. "Now, now, Kashi-chan, don't underestimate his determination. He's a pretty strong guy."  
"He is not strong," he replied. "I will admit that he… has his certain _merits_ but at the level Minato-sensei wishes us to be at, he doesn't make the cut."  
"I think you misunderstood," I murmured. "I said he's strong, not powerful."  
"Same thing," came the automatic reply.

"Ah, that's where you're wrong, Kashi-chan!" I chirped. "Someone can be powerful enough to kill their enemy with a single punch or kick, or flip over mountains but strength? Not a lot of people have it because it doesn't come from your muscles. It comes from the spirit. Obito is… spirited." I smiled warmly. "Yeah. Spirited. Perfect fit, ne?"

"How poetic," he deadpanned. "Did you get that from a fortune cookie?"  
"Yeah," I grinned cheekily. "They're making ones in Braille now, didn't you hear?"

"S-shut up!"

"All that aside," I said airily, "You still haven't told me why you were hovering around and not coming inside. Could it be that you are lonely but didn't have the guts to knock, Kashi-chan?" He went stiff. He needed to know that just because he was skilled and considered an adult, there were others his age like Rin and Obito that cared for him and wanted to be a friend, not just a comrade. A bit more in Rin's case, but meh.

"I am not lonely," he said a little too quietly, his chakra becoming turbulent. "And I'm not a coward."

"No," I agreed, "You're not. You're just too blind to see that you choose to be, though." I turned by back on him and began to exit the training field, only to glance back over my shoulder. Kakashi had gone back to throwing his kunai at the log. "Invitation to join us still stands, you know." No reply. "I'll save a gorigori-kun for you, anyways. G'night, Kashi-chan!"

With that I left him alone and raided the freezer at the all-night convenience store. I'd completely forgotten that Kakashi hated sweet stuff, but it was the thought that counts, right?

* * *

"About time, Red! Did you get lost or something?"

I laughed. "Sorry, Obi. Got lost on the road of life."

The collective groaned at the poor excuse, and Rin eyed me curiously but I didn't offer an explanation. Without further ado, Obito dived into the iced sweeties and tossed them towards their intended receivers. He paused as he held the last two; one for him, and one intended for Kakashi.

"Hey Red, you got too many."  
I shrugged and took the treat from him, placing it in the small freezer compartment of the fridge. "My bad. At least I have a spare one now!"

"… Can I have it?"

"No!"

* * *

I managed to corner Shisui as Obito and Tokuma got into a fight over who had the better bloodline. Thank Kami it hadn't turned violent, but it was providing a nice distraction so I could talk to him for a minute.

"So," I said, poking his shoulder. "What's up?"  
"The sky."  
"Ooh, original. But seriously, got something on your mind squirt?"  
"Don't call me that!"  
"Okay, Shisui-chan."  
"Don't call me that either!" He sighed, frowning a little as he glanced away. "I… I didn't really know who else to talk to and, although you're annoying, I trust you because Itachi does."  
I blinked. "You base your own trust off Ita-chan's for me?"  
He nodded. "Yeah. That kid…" he trailed off but he didn't have to explain. Itachi was one of a kind. "My father's dying," he said bluntly.

"I'm sorry," I said. How the hell was I supposed to reply? 'Sorry your dad is gonna be dead soon'? I might be blunt, but I wasn't heartless. His chakra quivered a little around the heart. He may be an Uchiha, but he obviously loved his father. One thing I learned, though, was people like Shisui didn't want to be coddled and wrapped in cotton wool because the world was being a little mean.

Shisui would wake up the next day, healthy and alive, and with his memory to keep his father alive.

Without warning I hugged him, which he didn't return. I didn't expect him to, and let go after a quick second. Shisui shifted slightly from one foot to the other and I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling embarrassed. To clear that up, I slugged him in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell!" he snapped.

I grinned. "Don't be getting soft now, Shisui-chan. Things may change, but you gotta endure. If you need someone to listen, I'll be here and then we'll go back to pranking the crap out of each other and spoiling ickle Ita-chan like normal. Kay?"  
His smile was soft. "Yeah. Whatever," he grumbled, pushing past me.

I giggled and followed to break up the one sided shouting match involving an Uchiha and Hyuga. I knew I was right about Shisui.

Beautiful friendship, indeed.

* * *

Once everyone had left for the night, dispersing to their own houses I sighed with relief and shut the door…

Only to have a powder bomb explode all over me and coat half of my apartment.

"_Goddamnit Shisui! I'll kill you!_"

* * *

Needless to say I was in a foul mood as I stalked towards the Academy at seven in the morning. I'd spent most of the night cleaning up a mixture of cornflour and chalk – don't ask me why he joined the two since I was pretty sure Shisui's slightly cuckoo. Same goes for how I knew the ingredients – and as a result only managed to get about four hours sleep.

Not. A. Happy. Camper.

Civilians and some Academy students currently on break dove out of my way. Sometimes it was good to be the student and protégée of the Hot-Blooded Habanero. Speaking of sensei, she was waiting outside of the Academy, tapping her foot in annoyance. Tokuma and Muta had given up on being annoyed with my slight tardiness long ago, but Kushina liked to have enough reason to train her genin team into the ground, which she usually did with a sick sort of glee. I could feel the kunai aimed at my ass already.

Whenever she was feeling generous, she'd use senbon, which she wasn't _as good_ at throwing but still hurt like hell when they managed to pierce skin.

"About time, Akani-baka!" Kushina growled, glaring at me.

I met it head on and fiddled with the leather strap holding my large scroll resting at the base of my spine. "Well, _exuuuse me_, but I just spent half the night cleaning up my apartment and only managed to get a few hours sleep and I'm a little crabby right now!"

"You almost made your teammates miss the opportunity to become chunin, Akani-chan. Little sleep or no, you are still late and your tardiness could have cost you all," Kushina snapped. "Don't be so selfish!"

"I'm here, okay! I'm sorry! Team Two is taking this stupid exam, and we'll all make chunin and live happily ever after." I was acting like a bitch, but it was just a front to cover up how freaking nervous I was. Kakashi's words on the exam being hard and telling me I would fail kept flitting through my mind and all manners of situations developed and assaulted my subconsciousness as a result.

What an ass. Didn't even have to be in the same vicinity and he still tortured me.

I didn't want to fail, but it was a high possibility. The genin taking the exam were hell-bent on becoming chunin and that would mean they would be giving it their all. I was reluctant to hurt a comrade, despite it being a test. Did that make me a weak person?

Probably.

I sighed and tugged at my hair braid. "I'm sorry I snapped. I'm just… nervous."  
Kushina's eyes softened and she placed a hand on my shoulder, but addressed all three of us. "The exam will be hard, no doubt, and test your trust and faith in each other but that's what it's designed for. Stay strong and watch each other's back and you won't have a problem, okay?" We all nodded, though mine was a little solemn. Kushina flicked my forehead, making me blink. Where had I 'seen' that before? "Don't look to down in the dumps, baka. I'll be waiting with all the other jonin sensei's and I've got a bit of money bet on all three of you passing the first two stages so… make me rich! I-I mean proud!"

We all sweat dropped and I glanced at my two team buddies. I grinned brightly and linked my arms through both of theirs, ignoring their efforts to squirm away.

"You heard the man! Let's go!"

I cackled as Kushina ground her teeth and tried to bonk me on the head but I'd sped off towards the Academy grounds with Tokuma and Muta in tow before she could connect.

"You are going to receive due punishment for that questionable remark," Muta said.

I shrugged. "She won't do too much damage." I paused. "I hope."

"I just… don't even care anymore," Tokuma sighed. "I've given up on trying to understand Akani-san a long time ago."  
"Naw, Princess, you really know how to flatter a lady!"  
"If you're the definition of a lady then I'm-"

"Gay?" I input innocently.

The Hyuga spluttered. "W-what?! No!"

I laughed and Muta's kikaichu hum became a little louder, betraying his amusement. It was like a bug version of a laugh and still creeped me out a little each time I heard it. I saw Tokuma's eye twitch and let out a squeal as he tried to close off a tenketsu in my arm.

"Are you crazy?" I cried, ducking and bending away from his fluid movements. "I wanna live, damnit! _Liiiiive!_"

By this stage he'd chased me into the Academy building and down the hallways. Muta was following us at a steady pace.

"Muta-kun!" I pleaded over my shoulder. "Save me!"

He pushed his sunglasses up his nose, and I could have sworn I saw the smallest hint of a smirk on his face. He made no move to get involved, leaving me to fend for myself.

"Meanie!" I yelled just as Tokuma managed to trip me. Unfortunately because of the scroll on my back I was yanked off balance and went tumbling backwards through a door…

Which was closed.

But now was decidedly _open_ and _broken_.

I somersaulted backwards across the floor and came to a stop on my front, my scroll whacking me in the head on the way through. I groaned, my face pressed against the cool floorboards. "So not cool, Tokuma-kun."  
"Ah, you must be Team Two," a lazy voice drawled.

I flared my chakra and lifted my chin to see who it was. Spiky hair, scarred face and jonin jacket with an incredibly sluggish-like chakra. I sighed. Gotta be a Nara.

I hobbled to my feet as Tokuma and Muta entered with grace. My eyebrow twitched. Way to go, making _me_ look like the incompetent ass. "Yeah. We're Team Two."  
"You're just on time," the Nara sighed. He jerked his head towards the large group of genin I just managed to notice were filling the spacious classroom. More than a few were looking at me like I was a kid playing ninja and it pissed me off. "Find a spare place so we can get down to business," he yawned.

I nodded and made a beeline for the corner. Corners were safe. Corners were my friend. Tokuma and Muta followed. I tried to ignore the whispers. I really did, but it was hard when people were snickering over the 'clumsy baby' and 'ninja-wannabe.'

I quickly realised that I was the youngest _and_ shortest of the whole group. What a double whammy.

My _favourite _whisper though was one older dude calling me an 'easy target.'

I grumbled under my breath as I leant against the wall, arms crossed and face burning. I'd show them not to underestimate Akani Uzumaki, damnit!

"Attention," the Nara announced, silencing the room. "My name's Shikaku Nara. Part one of the chunin exams will be underway in a moment. Because of the impending war there will not be any other competitors from outside villages taking part which means that you will have to fight your comrades," he explained. "This will be a multiple part test to see who has the potential to become chunin. Troublesome…" he finished with a mutter, making most of the genin sweatdrop.

I sighed and turned my attention to the gathered genin, blinking when I saw Team Seven. The _complete_ Team Seven, as in Kakashi – who was already a chunin – standing there like a statue. What the?!

"Hold up!" I yelled, annoyed. I pointed at Kakashi. "Why the hell is he here? He's already a chunin!"

Whispers erupted and the Nara sighed. "Kakashi-kun is entering the examination to be tested to become jonin." More whispers and heart filled kunoichi eyes. "That being said, he will also be acting as an evaluator of sorts."  
"B-but, he's an ass! He won't pass anyone!" I cried indignantly. "How is that fair?! He's already a chunin for a reason!"  
"Pipe down, brat," Kakashi sighed. "You're embarrassing yourself." Cue the laughter and my face burning.

I glared at him with my teeth clenched. "I hope you put your money where your mouth is, ass, coz I'll be shoving my fist down your throat to get it!"

Rin sighed from behind her teammates as Obito outright laughed, slapping his knee and everything before quickly sobering at his crush's stern gaze.

"Mou, so troublesome," Shikaku sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "As I was saying, there will be further instructions given when we cross that bridge. First things first I need one volunteer from each team to come up here to grab a scroll from me. Be quick about it."

"Say's a member of one of the laziest clans," I grumped. I faced Tokuma and Muta, raising a brow. "So, who's gonna grab the scroll?"

Tokuma stepped forward. "I shall. We don't need you making us look worse than what we already do," he said venomously.

I held up my hands in surrender. "Hey, don't blame me that my stupidity has effectively gotten the competition to underestimate us. I mean, they already assume that I'm weak since I'm the youngest here, ya know?" I let that sink in and noted the realisation dawning. I grinned. "See? I'm good for something other than acting like a target during training!"

"Only just," Tokuma admitted.

I frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
"You do make an excellent target, Akani-san," Muta added.

My eyebrow twitched. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, a-holes."

"Of course," the Aburame nodded stoically. His chakra shivered with amusement, though.

Shaking his head, Tokuma went to gather the scroll from our instructor. He was back a few moments later. I went to grab it and open it, but he held it out of reach, making me pout.

"Aw, don't be a meanie, Princess!" I whined, jumping to try and pry it from his hands. Damn midget-ness! "I wanna open it!"  
"We are not allowed to open it just yet," he replied. I sighed but nodded, giving up on my futile attempts.

Once every team had a scroll, Shikaku cleared his throat before yawning widely. "Right, you may _not _open these scrolls until the designated time. In a moment a guide will come to lead you to where the exams will take place. Any team that disobeys will be disqualified and can try the exam again in six months time. _Don't_ open the scrolls."  
"What happens if we open them sooner?" someone called.

Shikaku shrugged, yawning. "Dunno. Didn't really pay attention. Too troublesome." Everyone sighed and the Nara smirked, slinking his way to the door. "See some of you soon," he said before closing the door behind him, leaving the genin to their own devices.

A cacophony of voices broke out the moment it was shut, teams talking amongst themselves and others using the exam as a social event. Obito was quickly winding his way through the crowd, stepping on more than a few toes to get to us. Rin and Kakashi took their time, deciding to stick close by their teammate though the latter was rather reluctant.

"Hey Red!" the Uchiha chirped, slinging an arm over my shoulder. I was right in his armpit. Gross. "You sure know how to make an entrance!"

We all ignored the shout of '_so youthful!_' from the other side of the room.  
I poked him sharply in the ribs, making him squawk. "I blame Princess. He pushed me."  
"I did no such thing," Tokuma sniffed.

"Tripped, pushed, same difference," I said blithely. I turned back to Team Seven. "So, you guys all geared up?"  
"Hells yeah! We're totally stocked and ready to-" he was cut off by a hard slap to the back of the head, knocking his goggles askew. Obito whirled towards Kakashi, fist raised and fire in his eyes. "Oi! What the hell was that for!"  
"This is an examination to see who has the qualities to become chunin. Everyone here is vying for the same thing which automatically makes _them_ the competition," the jerk explained, pointed at us.  
"So? Ya didn't have to hit me! I wasn't gonna say anything to give our tactics away or nothin'!"

"It doesn't matter," Kakashi responded dryly, scolding his teammate. "We shouldn't be acting friendly to the competition. Keep a level head and try and use that pea brain of yours for once."

"Kakashi-kun is right, Obito-kun, though he could have said it nicer," Rin said softly, making the Uchiha wilt a little. She gave a small, apologetic smile towards Team Two. "I'm sorry, but we're taking this examination seriously and if that means we have to be enemies for a short amount of time, then that's what will happen. I'm sorry," she repeated.

I sighed, knowing she was right. Just because I was unsure of myself didn't mean that the other genin would go easy on me. Some of them would probably try to maim others so bad they wouldn't be able to move for a month. The thought made me shudder. Desperation can make people a little crazy.

"Right," I agreed, holding out my hand for Rin to take. She did so, squeezing a little. "The moment this exam starts, we're not friends. We're competitors reaching for the same goal."

Rin nodded resolutely and I shook Obito's hand too. "I can't wait to fight you, Red!" he exclaimed.

I blinked. Obito wanted to fight… me? Interesting.

I liked interesting things.

I smirked. "Better bring you're A-game Obi coz I won't go easy on ya."  
"Don't expect ya to!"

I held out my hand for Kakashi to take but he simply stared at me impassively. I dropped my hand, rolling my eyes. "Don't think I'll go easy on you either, Kashi-chan." He twitched a little at the nickname and I didn't see Rin glance between us, brow furrowed. "You still owe me a fight."

He didn't even bother to respond. Not that I expected him to, but it kinda made me sad. He didn't even acknowledge my challenge, which meant that he didn't even acknowledge that I could be a potential 'threat.'

Ouch.

His silence hurt more than any insult.

The door opened and a giant of a man entered, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. He impassively stared around at the silent genin, smirking a little as some of them backed away from the cold aura he was exuding. Even more trembled at the man's scary smile.

I immediately like him and decided to call him 'Bear.'

"Good morning cannon fodder," he greeted with a rumble, disheartening more than a few, "Follow me, brats, and make it snappy."

He abruptly turned on his heel and left the room as fast as he came, but no one moved a muscle. I glanced around, noting that a few of the genin had glanced about their friends for some confidence.

I leant close to a trembling Obito and announced in a mock stage whisper that echoed, "I wonder if he gets stab happy if he's kept waiting?"  
Obito 'eeped' and made a mad dash for the door, dragging Kakashi and Rin behind him. The movement seemed to spur the other's into action and soon genin were all but tripping over themselves to find the guide who was standing stiffly at the end of the hall, scowl in place.

"Keep up, brats! I won't be slowing down again!" Bear snapped.

He turned on his heel and led the way out of the Academy and through the village at a fast clip. Some of the genin who didn't have such great stamina were huffing and puffing by the time Bear stopped outside of the creepiest forest I'd ever seen or felt.

The noises emitting from the place didn't help much either.

"Alright listen up!" Bear roared, gaining everyone's attention. "Behind me is Training Ground Forty Four, also known as the Forest of Death." _That _rang a loud bell in my mind, imprinted memories frothing to the fore of giant snakes and creepy slugs. "Your test is to survive one week inside by getting to the tower in the centre before the time limit. You each have your team scrolls?" A few meek nods. "Good. Hold onto them. There are a total of ten other scrolls that are the opposites of the ones you were given dotted about the forest. You _must_ show up to the tower with both scrolls. If you don't have two scrolls or show up to the tower with only one and not the other, your team will not pass!"  
"But, there's twenty teams here!" a random genin yelled indignantly.

Bear grinned coldly. "So the baby genin can count after all. This is basically an elimination round! Before I shove you into the deep end, you all need to sign some waivers in case one of you dies. I don't want to be held accountable and I hate paper work."

I chuckled nervously as I was handed my slip of paper from Bear and signed it quickly, uncaring if I wrote over the fine print. The man raised a brow slightly but continued to collect the signed papers.

He paused to speak lowly to Kakashi who nodded every so often but they were too far away for me to hear.

"Alright, maggots! You are to go to the gates that coincide with your cell number! Once the alarm sounds you'll be able to enter the forest and begin the test. Get a move on!" the giant yelled, chuckling darkly as a few genin fell flat on their face from trying to move too fast.

Because we were outside of gate one, Tokuma, Muta and I didn't have that far to walk to gate two, though it was far enough from the other gates that we couldn't see anyone else.

A chunin was lazing against the chain link fence and didn't even greet us or look up from inspecting his nails.

We stood in silence, waiting and listening to the forest beyond. More than a few growls sent shivers up my spine.

"Lions and tigers and bears, oh my," I grumbled for some reason, making the three guys around me frown.

The chunin at the gate scoffed. "Tch, what a bunch of wimps. You think you can become chunin? Does your _mommy_ know you're taking the test?" he taunted.

"My mother's dead," I said bluntly.

The chunin blinked before laughing as if I'd said something funny. "So the little kitten has some claws, huh? You're gonna need them if you want to live, though I doubt you'll make it a day. Predators tend to go for the weak and lame prey."

"Says the chunin on baby-sitting duty," I snapped.

"Tch. What a bunch of babies."  
My retort was cut off by a blaring alarm and the creak of the gate opening. I glanced at Tokuma and Muta, taking charge of the situation. "Muta-kun, you're on point. I've heard this place has some interesting bugs and slugs so try and keep them away. Tokuma-kun, bring up the rear and keep those eyes on. I'll take the defensive middle. We'll scout and set up camp today and go searching for the scrolls tomorrow. The sounds of the gates opening would have put the creatures in the forest on edge and we don't need any unnecessary injuries so early on."  
"Hai!" they chorused, and we took off into the insanely large trees. I couldn't help but crater the ground from the force of the push-off though and twisted mid-air to give the shocked gate chunin the finger. I cackled as we disappeared into the forest.

Let the games begin.

* * *

**Another chappy down!**

**I'm curious to know who you want Akani to fight in the forest, and if she should be made chunin? :) If yes, give me a reason. If no, also a reason lol**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I hate jumping spiders. It's like, nature decided to say 'screw you' and combine nightmares.**

**I freak the hell out if I can't touch the bottom of the ocean, so I don't usually go any higher than my waist.**

**I've never broken a bone, though I've dislocated my shoulder which kinda hurt.**

**Pineapples are berries.**

**A quarter of the bones in the human body are located in the foot.**

**Every year the moon moves about 3cm away from earth (just over an inch, for all you non-metric users)**

**The Antarctic ice cap contains over 70% of the worlds source of fresh water.**

**Polar bears have black skin. Their fur is clear.**

**Tigers skin is striped, not just their fur!**

**Does anyone even read these facts? I'd like to think I'm teaching you guys something you didn't know, and that makes me happy though :)**


	21. Down the Rabbit Hole

**WOOOOOOOOO!**

**LONGEST CHAPTER YET!**

**CAN I GET A HUZZAH!**

**...**

**Oh, you party poopers.**

**Anyways, I'm glad that most of you readers think Akani should be made chunin, even though she can be a dense, emotional wreck sometimes. Just a heads up, there's gonna be action and even more dense, lovable, idiotic Akani in this chappy! YAY!**

**safranbrod: Ya know, I didn't even know what a 'Mary Sue' was until I urbandictionary'd it. I don't think Akani's a 'Mary Sue.' She's an idiot lol But... I guess you'll have to wait and see if she becomes a chunin :D**

**Barryium: Fight scenes ahead! You're welcome, even though they might be a little shitty :/ It's difficult putting what I see in my mind into words but I gave it my best shot!**

**CeresMaria: LOL! THe gate guard could have very well been a Yamanaka but... *ominous music* we'll never know. ****_Dun, dun, dunnnn!_**

**ANYWHO! Thanks for ya reviews since I'm loving them all and loving the faves and loving life in general at the moment so...**

**ONWARDS! :)**

* * *

The forest was creepy.

No 'ifs,' 'buts,' or 'maybes' about it. It just oozed weirdness from every weird corner and weird bugs came out from their weird hiding places to eat other weird _things_ I had never seen before.

In short, Muta was in heaven and I was pretty sure I was in hell.

All these different masses of writhing chakra – no matter how small – were sending my senses haywire. I actually had to soften my echolocation since it started to give me a headache from how much blue I was seeing. It cut my vision down, but at least I wasn't in danger of becoming a burden to my team.

Muta changed directions slightly. "There is a nest of killer bee's just ahead and they have already been aggravated. It is best to avoid them," he explained.

I shuddered. "Ugh, I hate bugs."  
Up ahead Muta pursed his lips slightly as Tokuma scowled. "You are on a team with a member of the Aburame clan, Akani-san. Don't be so insensitive."  
"I didn't mean Muta-kun's bugs! I don't like calling them that! They live inside him, right? In symbiosis to keep him alive, _right_? Then they're not bugs, they're partners! _Duh?_"

Muta's chakra shivered a little with gratitude as he glanced back and I gave him a bright smile and a thumbs up. A lot of the time I didn't think before I spoke which resulted in me putting my foot in my mouth epically but apparently I always made up for it.  
Not quite sure how, but I did.

Like when one time an older group of teen genin boys we had to pair up with for a border patrol stint – who were more interested in talking about cute girls than doing _actual _work – said Tokuma's clans eyes were weird and although he met them face on impassively I could tell he was a little hurt. I responded with a sarcastic 'Yeah, what's so great about them besides they can _see through_ walls, like the ones blocking ya from the girls side of the hot springs, right?'

It probably wasn't _the_ best response since the group still managed to corner the Hyuga sometimes whenever they wanted to go peeping and 'guide' Tokuma in the ways of the pervert.

Woops.

Jiraiya would be proud, though.

I sighed and flared my chakra, wincing at how many chakra signatures were in this place but I managed to sort them out quickly and note we were still a fair way away from any other teams. "Hey Princess, do you think that you can scout for a scroll?"

"I don't think I should be concentrating on finding a scroll until we set up a base of operations," he said dryly.

"I didn't mean now!" I snapped, rubbing my temples. "Ugh, all this chakra closeness is messing with my head."  
"Didn't think that was possible since it's already so messed up," Tokuma deadpanned.  
I growled and poked my tongue out at him. "Don't forget this crazy person has saved your butt many times, Princess."  
"Of course," he admitted and didn't say anything else.

I gave him a soft smile before latching onto a branch and swinging off it, propelling myself forward. Tokuma was a Hyuga, and bred into a clan renowned for their level headedness and dignity. Although he can lose his temper spectacularly he rarely yelled, but his outward praises were rare too. It didn't mean he couldn't compliment someone, but usually it was entwined within an insult and it took me a little while to realise that some of his insults could be passable as 'constructive criticism.'

My stomach rumbled, alerting me to the fact that we hadn't stopped moving yet, making our way into the thicker parts of the forest. I blushed, laughing sheepishly. "Um, can we stop for a snack?"  
"We have only been in the forest for two hours, Akani-san," Muta replied.

My stomach growled, louder this time and we all stopped on a rather large branch. I grabbed my tummy, whimpering. "Mr Tummy hungry!" I whined.

Tokuma sighed, sounding extremely put out even as he activated his dojutsu. "There's a large hollowed out tree one hundred meters to the north of us that is sturdy and can be used as a temporary camp. Muta-san, can you set up a warning system with your kikaichu while Akani-san and I set up the sealing wards?"  
"Of course."

"Right," the Hyuga nodded. "We'll meet back up at the camp in ten minutes. Code is Number Four. Let's get this over with."  
"Hai!"  
We split up and I unravelled a pair of scrolls hidden in my sleeves, handing one to Tokuma. He peered at it closely. "New tags?" he asked, slightly surprised.

I grinned broadly. "Yup! New range, last for longer and faster feedback alert with pinpoint trackers. Tweaked the designs myself," I bragged, chest puffing out.

"Impressive," he complimented and my cheeks hurt from how much I was smiling.

I unsealed a tag and slapped it to a tree, activating it with a gentle nudge of chakra. Immediately I felt the connection to the tag and saw the glow of blue surround it, waiting to connect to its sister-tags. Tokuma sped through a few hand signs to coat it in a small genjutsu so it blends into the foliage while slapping his own tag on a fairly high branch. We circled around the tree we'd be camping in, setting the wards and my awareness of the tags mapped out the forest in a cobweb of blue.

I'd never get sick of seeing what I dubbed 'the network.'

Nine and a half minutes later we all met at the tree. I gawped at it. "Princess, you said the tree was large, right?"  
"Hai."  
I tilted my head, mouth still agape. "You negated the fact that it was _effing massive_."

Which it was. My entire apartment would fit inside the damn thing. Kinda made me sad when I thought about it too much, actually.

Time for happy thoughts.

I clapped my hands gleefully, squealing a little before speeding inside. Muta had taken care of any bugs and spiders inside –thank Kami since I didn't want a spider bite to the eyeball – and the entrance was relatively hidden from view. All you had to do was pull a tangle of vines over and _voila_.

Insta-camp.

I spun in a circle, arms open wide. "All it needs is a lick of paint and it'll be _fabulous_!" I chirped, planting one hand on my hip. "I'd put the couch _there_, and the bed over _there_ and, oh Princess! What do you think about the kitchen over _here_?" I asked, pointing all about the place.

By this stage both of my teammates were inside the hollow of the tree, ignoring me. Tokuma grunted since he didn't care.

I nodded sagely. "That's what I thought so too. It should _totally_ go over _there_." I rubbed my hands together with sadistic glee. "Come, come, my pretties, we have much work to do!"

"Will you _shut up_?" Tokuma sighed, dangerously close to banging his head against the nearest hard surface.

I puffed my cheeks grumpily. "Mou, you should support a friend in a transitional time like this, Princess."  
"Do you even know what 'transitional' means?"

"It's when _you_ go from happy to pissy in a blink." I paused, tapping my chin. "Do guys get PMS?"

Tokuma spluttered and Muta, ever the logical voice of reason, spoke up with a small adjustment to his glasses to show he was uncomfortable. "The male species do not go through… _PMS_ because it is wholly based around the female reproductive system and their hormonal changes."  
I tilted my head. "But guys have hormones too, right?"

"Of course. It is how one grows from what society perceives as 'boy' to 'man.'"  
"Oh, I see. So, you're saying it's… _transitional_?" I grinned cheekily towards Tokuma who had at some point stopped breathing. Muta slapped him on the back rather hard and he started gulping in air.

"How crude! You're getting worse with age, Akani-san!" Tokuma snarled.

"Naw, what's an uncomfortable conversation between friends, ne Princess?" I laughed, moving towards the inner bark of the tree and unsealing a pot of ink and brush. "Besides," I started, voice getting quieter as I began to create a fuinjutsu barrier as a last ditch protection. "After this, if one of us becomes chunin, we probably won't work together much. You guys will go back to working with your clans, and I… I don't really know what will happen to me."

What I just said even shocked me a little. I didn't even realise I felt that way until I voiced it but now that it was out there, I couldn't deny it.

Change scared me, even though I knew it was necessary.

I'd been so caught up in the idea of manipulating people that I didn't really stop to think about the immediate future. I'd grown attached to Tokuma, Muta and Kushina. If I became a chunin that would change and I'd have to make it work with other people who I called comrades but didn't really trust because I didn't _know_ them.

If Tokuma and Muta became chunin and I didn't, I'd be left behind and they'd be so caught up in their new duties they would have no time for me. I didn't even know what would happen in regards to Kushina-sensei. Would she still be my sensei?

I'd be left alone.

Again.

And that struck a bone chilling fear inside of me.

A pair of arms wrapped awkwardly around my shoulders, and a hand rested on my head made me still. I didn't even realise I'd been shaking. Tokuma jostled my shoulders, and Muta ruffled my hair lightly.

"Everything will be fine, Akani," Tokuma murmured, dropping the honorific, "We'll always be Team Two."  
I nodded shakily and Muta handed me… a handkerchief? My confusion must have shown on my face since he pressed a finger to my cheek and it slipped. My cheeks were wet?  
Why would they… be…

My eyes widened and I hastily wiped the tears away. I rarely cried. Hell, the last time I cried in front of my team was when I confessed I was weak because I hesitated in downing a bandit permanently. That was _ages_ ago.

They gave me space and I was grateful since my fear was overcome by mortification. Kami, if this got back to Kushina-sensei, and she thought I wasn't ready to become chunin…

I whirled on my teammates, growling. "This _never_ happened, got it?" Silence. I cracked my knuckles and stalked towards them. "I _said_, you got it?"  
"Hai!" they said in unison, turning their attention to making a cold camp.

I grinned, whipping out a storage control with all of our sleeping bags in it. "Glad you understand."

It took a few minutes for the camp to be set up so our liking. On the road we usually set up camp within two minutes – since Kushina taught us 'haste' by using cruel and unusual punishment if we went too slow – but here we were feeling a little lax since we were warded and prepared in case someone tripped the sensing traps.

We sat in a circle, munching on some onigiri I'd managed to smuggle in via storage scroll. I was getting _really_ good at making them, because they were damn handy.

"So," I said between hungry gobbles, "Still sticking to the plan? Scout today and scroll tomorrow?"

"It is a logical and sound plan, however I ponder over the effect it might have in regards to the other genin attempting to find a scroll during the first few, crucial hours," Muta answered, releasing a small swarm of kikaichu to snack on a spare rice ball I packed just for them. The little guys needed something else to eat sometimes, and apparently they liked my onigiri which was actually pretty cool.

"We're not that far into the forest, since most of the big and nasties live towards the centre where it's denser," I replied, snatching another snack. I was hungry!

"How do you know all this? About the forest?" Tokuma asked, ever the Princess and not a grain of rice out of place.

I shrugged. "The library. And maybe overhearing some chunin talk about how the 'baby genin are going to get slaughtered in the Forest of Death.' Come to think of it, the higher-ups don't have a lot of faith in us, do they?" I deadpanned.

"It is not a lack of faith, but rather an assessment from experience," Muta replied.

"Huh. Didn't think about it like that."  
"Of course you didn't," Tokuma drawled.

I growled. "Oi! Stop with the idiot jokes! What's wrong with you lately? You've been getting all pissy over everything I do and can't seem to decide whether to compliment me or insult me!"  
"I have _not_," the Hyuga snapped. "I'm merely pointing out that you don't think ahead, Akani-san."  
Wow. Statement of the century. Shame it wasn't true since all I _ever_ did was think about the future, how shitty it was and what I could possibly do to stop it.

I thinned my lips in distaste. "Whatever. I'm gonna tag-trap the outside trunk. Scout for a scroll while I'm at it, eh Princess?" I leapt out of the tree before he could reply, my interior seal sinking past me like a film, recognising my chakra before snapping back into place.

I muttered to myself as I withdrew a handful of blank seals and quickly wrote over the top of them in sealing script. I could do these in my sleep from the amount of times Kushina-sensei made me draw them.

I think she particular liked when I screwed up because she had an excuse to hit me.

Child abuse, I say!

I slapped a seal to the trunk of the tree angrily, pushing a little too much chakra into it and the resulting shock wave was enough to blow my hair back from my face. It was ruined now, crinkled at the edges so I had to do it again. What a waste of precious paper.

"Stupid, shit, ass, jerkface, prissy Princess d-bags!" I whisper-screamed, stomping my feet on the tree bark in a hissy fit. I usually only became sarcastic and idiotic whenever I started to feel the pressure. Unfortunately that meant I was a sarcastic moron most of the time, but Tokuma and Muta knew me like they were my own siblings, and Kushina could relate since we had similar personalities due to the Uzumaki thing. So why hadn't Princess asked what's wrong? Easy, because he's being a dick.

I hated boys.

I was about to rant again when I felt something at the edge of my 'network.'

It was a chakra signature. Small, but notable and obviously trying to remain hidden if its compressed nature was anything to go by. I took a step back towards the camp, only to pause and think better. I was still pissy at Mr Prissy so he'd have to miss out on the fun I decided. Besides, one scout was easier to hide than three.

If I got into trouble, I'd just flare my chakra.

I nodded resolutely to myself and disappeared into the trees, leaping between the branches with the ease of someone only raised in Konoha. The signature was a few feet inside of my sensing barrier now, but they were fast. _Very _fast. The only little people I knew who could move that fast was Shisui, Itachi and perhaps Kakashi and Guy, though I'd have recognised any of their signatures in a heartbeat. This was someone entirely new.

Another genin, perhaps?

My hand crept towards my kunai pouch to prepare in case whoever it was decided to atta-

I growled viciously. Now they were trying to peel my de-genjutsu'd tag from a tree. Ass-hats!  
I pumped more chakra into my legs and latched onto a tree-trunk, my echolocation flaring as I peered down the tree at the perpetrator.

I blinked and rubbed my blind eyes, not quite believing what I was 'seeing.'

"A _bunny_?" I whispered, completely bewildered.

The creature's ears and nose twitched until it tilted its head upwards to where I was. My mouth was wide open in shock. Was it just me, or did that cute little bunny just _glare_ at me? And how did it know where I was?

Curiouser and curiouser.  
"I'm a hare, _girly_," the bunny snapped.

"_You can talk?!_" I choked before realising something.

Not many animals could speak. Besides the Inuzuka ninken, only animals used to close proximity with humans could talk. Even less had a chakra signature which meant he was either someone's beloved companion or…

"You're a summon!" I accused, whipping out some barrier-tagged kunai and flinging them with deadly accuracy. They punctured into the ground around the animal and the barrier flared before he could escape.

Which genin in the forest had enough chakra to pull off a summoning?  
Not many I knew of, so it was obviously one of the older genin I didn't know.

Satisfied he was trapped for now, I branch leapt to the floor and approached warily. I couldn't sense anyone else's presence, which meant the summon was alone but why would the hare try and take down my barrier tags? I could sense the residual echo of my chakra in the tag in his small paws. It was a young summon, and inexperienced. An older summon wouldn't have been caught so easily.

"Why were you tampering with the barrier seals?" I asked, crouching down to peer at him. The hare hissed, making me almost face plant in shock. What a weird noise to be coming from a rabbit.

"None ya business!" the bunny spat, though he was starting to shake. He was young and scared. Not of me in particular, but he was peering closely at my kunai pouch strapped to my thigh. So… he was scared of shinobi? What type of master did he have to warrant this type of reaction?

I frowned. "They're my seals, so I think it _is_ my business, ya know? Who's your summoner?"  
The hare tried to clean his face nonchalantly with his paws and he failed miserably when he jabbed himself in the eye. "My what?" he asked innocently, blinking rapidly.

I sighed, sitting down on the forest floor. "Look, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I just want to know what you were doing?"  
"Isn't it obvious, _girl_?" he snapped indignantly. "I was looking for something to eat!"  
I stared blankly at him. "You were going to eat my seal?"  
"Yes!" he squeaked indignantly, twitching nervously.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped. I placated the summon with an 'easy there' gesture when he glared at me. "I'm sorry, it's just… I've never met a summons before and after meeting you, the bars been set high since you're so damn cute!"

The creature glared harder, sitting on its hind quarters. "I'm not supposed to be _cute_, I'm supposed to be _good_," he grumped, frowning a little.

Everything about this summon was just screaming 'cuteness!' to me. Even that adorably little frown that should have looked weird but didn't was cute.

"Well, you're only young, right?" I said airily. "Can't expect to be good straight off the bat. You've gotta work hard to be good at what you wanna do. See that tag in your paws?" I asked. He nodded, twisting the useless paper a bit. "Well, I had to do about five hundred of those before my teacher deemed it 'okay.' Not good, or excellent, just 'okay.' So, I worked harder and harder until they became 'good' and 'excellent.' Now, I can do em in my sleep!" I finished proudly with a large grin.

"You're… strange, for a kunoichi," the hare mumbled.

I shrugged, still smiling. "Gotta make life interesting, ya know?"

"… right."

"So, what's your name?" I asked.

The hare blinked in shock. "What?"  
"What's your name? You _do_ have a name, right?"  
"… I'm called Usagi."  
I chuckled. "A hare named 'Hare.' How fitting."  
"It's a strong name for a member of the Leporidae!" he growled.

I nodded sagely, even though I didn't know what 'leporidae' meant. "Of course it is," I agreed. "Well, Usagi-chan, my name's Akani, but you can call me awesome!"

"I'd prefer not."  
I pouted. "Oh, poo, and we were getting along famously. Hey, are you still hungry?"

"… a little," he admitted quietly, almost like he was ashamed.

I grinned at him before unsealing a small scroll full of forest berries Muta had collected with the help of his kikaichu to check for poisons. My fingers sunk through the kunai tag-barrier, recognising my chakra with no worries to hand the summons a few wild-berries. He eyed them warily until I ate one to show it wasn't poisonous, and then he couldn't eat them fast enough. He must have been _really_ hungry, and I had stopped him during his forage.

Woops.

He licked the juice off his paws, nodding at me hesitantly before saying an equally hesitant 'thank you.'

"No worries!" I beamed. "Want another one?" Before he could reply a voice called out my name.  
"Akani-san!"

I twisted until I saw Tokuma and Muta leaping towards me, worried frowns on their faces. They're eternally familiar chakra signatures told me they were the real deal. I raised a hand in greeting. "Yo! What's up?"

Tokuma landed next to me, scowling down at me. "You have been gone for a half hour and I couldn't see you in the immediate vicinity. What were you doing?"  
I gestured towards my small, impromptu barrier. "Talking to my new friend. Duh?"  
Tokuma gave me a strange look. "The barrier is empty, Akani-san."  
"Eh?" I whipped back around to see the barrier was indeed empty, Usagi and my barrier tag gone with him. "Aw, damnit! I was gonna give him more berries!"  
"There is something written in the dirt," Muta said from a tree branch above.

"What does it say?" I asked, deactivating the barrier.

"It says 'Thank you, I'm sorry.'"

I blinked, scratching my head. "Huh. He was a polite bunny."  
"You were talking to a bunny?" Tokuma said dryly.

"Yeah, he was a summon of one of the older genin."

"_What?_" Tokuma hissed. "The summon now knows where we are and will report back to its master! We have to move camp! Kami, Akani-san, you can be so dense!"  
"Oi! I didn't give anything away except my name which everyone knows since Obito screamed it out during the run here!" I cried. "And don't call Usagi-chan an 'it'!"

"A rabbit named Hare?" Tokuma asked incredulously.

"No, he was a hare named Hare," I replied. "But that's not the point! Usagi-chan is a 'he' not an 'it!'"

"Stop fretting over the stupid bunny!" Tokuma snapped.

"Hare," I corrected.

"Whatever! Just fix the damn barrier and get back to camp! I've located a scroll with my Byakugan." With that Tokuma sped off, leaving Muta and I behind.

I sighed as I snatched my barrier kunai from the ground and placed them back in my pouch, jumping up beside Muta who had been kind enough to wait for me. We pushed off from the branch, heading back towards camp but not before I replaced the tag Usagi had taken. How weird that he took it. Not that it would be much use besides a snack, I mused. He must have been _really, really_ hungry, even after the berries.

"Princess _really_ needs to loosen up," I sighed, sounding put out.

"He does not have the easiest of times doing so," Muta agreed in his Aburame-ish way, "But his clan is also not one to look kindly upon failure."  
I pursed my lips as I recalled details of the Hyuga from what Tokuma had told us and what Tia vaguely remembered. Tokuma was branch house, which meant he was branded with the Caged Bird Seal. It was a nasty piece of work and I'd only seen it a few times but even I knew it would have been incredibly painful to even be applied. Tokuma was stronger than the main branch of his clan gave him credit for. "Tokuma isn't a failure. If he doesn't become a chunin, it just means that he had more time to become a great shinobi like he wants."  
"Quite," Muta agreed, his lips quirking a little.

I shot the bug user a lopsided smile, playfully bumping his shoulder with my own. "Come on. Let's not keep Princess waiting."

I sped off laughing and Muta followed.

* * *

"So, that's the literal plan?" I whispered. "Just 'walk over and grab it'? That's so stupid it's brilliant!" I gave my two teammates who were hiding in the shrubbery with me a bright grin, especially Muta who'd come up with the idea.

We were about an hour away from our camp on the outskirts of a small grassy clearing further in the forest. In the hollow of a dead tree lay our goal; a sister scroll to the one Muta had in his pocket.

"Glad you approve," Tokuma responded acidly, dojutsu activated. "I can't see any traps or anyone in the immediate vicinity, but there's a group heading this way that are about ten minutes out. Plenty of time for Akani-san to grab the scroll, replace it with a fake and for us to disappear."  
I nodded. "Right. Wait, why do _I_ have to be the one to grab the scroll?"

"Because _you_ are a walking storage facility," Tokuma hissed. "Just replace the scroll we need with a fake and get out of there. I want out of this stupid forest."

"Alright, alright. Sheesh, keep your panties on," I mumbled, tightening the strap holding my scroll on my back. I darted from the foliage before he could Gentle Fist strike a painful spot and sped towards the scroll. I didn't trip over any wires, or step on any exploding tags. I grinned to myself.

Must have been a scroll we got to first. Awesome!

I found out it wasn't as easy as it seemed when I went to grab the scroll and set off a pressure trap. My eyes widened when the seemingly dead tree erupted in a bright blue seal and transformed into a miniature army of marionette shinobi.

I squealed in fright as I back flipped to avoid a kunai to the face. I stumbled a little at the landing and glanced behind me to the shrubbery where my teammates were.

"A little help would be nice!" I snapped, ducking as a swarm of kikaichu clouded the nearest marionette to lock up its joints, Tokuma finishing it off with a beautiful flying kick.

We quickly got into a triangle formation, our backs to each other and stances defensive. I'd already flipped my scroll around so it was facing outwards at the ready. We were surrounded quickly and the clicks and creaks the puppets emitted made me shudder.

"Ugh, it's like when Shouta-sensei scratched his nails down the chalkboard," I murmured. Tokuma and Muta nodded in silent agreement.

"So, new plan?" I said brightly, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work. It just pissed my Hyuga teammate off even more. "The new plan is to defeat the puppets and keep the scroll for ourselves, _obviously!_"

"Oh… heh, duh Akani," I muttered sheepishly just as the puppets attacked. Adrenalin surged as I unwrapped my scroll and pumped my chakra into it, unsealing a barrage of explosive kunai to punch into a few wooden chests. They hissed and detonated, a shower of chips sprinkling the area.

We had to finish this fight quickly and disappear. The noise would have no doubt attracted some unwanted attention and most of my sealed arsenal was of the… explosive nature.

I briefly thought about the special scroll I carried next to my heart but thought against unsealing what was in it. No use using my _actual_ trump on something so frivolous as a bunch of stupid dolls.

My scroll twirled back into itself and I deftly twirled it until rested it at the base of my spine out of pure habit before sweeping my leg out to trip a marionette. I heard a loud creak as its maw opened, followed by the telltale click of a spring trap activating. A spray of senbon shot out faster than I could dodge and a few punched into my shoulder.

"Ah, crap!" I cried. _That_ stung like a bitch. Thankfully they weren't poisoned. "Muta! Princess! They shoot senbon from their freaking mouths!"  
I heard a _ting ting ting_ of metal against metal as Tokuma replied, sounding exasperated and angry at the same time as he deflected the needles. "We know that!"

"Well _sor-ry_!" I snapped, wincing as I plucked the metal from my skin. They didn't go deep, but now my arm was all tingly and throbbing. Not to mention my shirt was ruined now too. I withdrew an ordinary kunai, spinning it by the ring around my finger before holding it in a reverse grip to deflect a tanto, my arm shuddering from the impact but I held strong.

_Against a freaking tanto!_

Kakashi seriously wasn't kidding when he said this test was tough, but a freaking _sword_? I didn't want to die! I furiously kicked the puppet away from me as it was sneaking towards the pocket I placed the exam scroll in, sending it crashing into a handful of others. I clenched my kunai between my teeth and ran through a string of hand seals, slapping my palms to the ground.

"Earth Style; Earthquake Slam!"

My chakra flowed into the soil and the ground roiled before fissuring and cracking, stones lifting and sending the puppets in front of me off balance before falling into the still shifting earth to be crushed to mulch. Because of how intense my chakra was I kinda forgot that a majority of the ninjutsu I used were doubled, sometimes tripled or quadrupled in power.

I quickly remembered when the trees surrounding the clearing groaned ominously and began to tip at a dangerous angle.

My triumphant grin faltered before slipping all together. Behind me, Tokuma and Muta finished off the last of the puppets and whipped around when the first tree fell. I spun on my heel and shot forward to tug them out of the danger zone.

"Oh dear, what a mess! Time to go!" I said with a cheerful, false smile and even falser laugh.

My teammates twitched, but otherwise didn't say anything as we deftly avoided being crushed to death by the forest.

I tilted my head in thought. Huh. Now the name of the training ground made sense.

The clearing was unrecognisable by the time we were safe, a dozen trees having fallen and birds shooting out into the sky with indignant squawks. I felt the barely concealed rage from my Hyuga teammate. Even Muta was frustrated, but it was quickly fading as he realised we had the scroll.

I scratched the back of my head, facing my homicidal teammate. "Heh… woops?"  
"Do you… have _any_ _idea_ what you just did?" Tokuma asked calmly, and that terrified me. I must have really screwed up.

"Um… Hey! Look what I have!" I tried to distract him by waving the sister scroll in front of his twitching face. "Look at that nice scroll! Wow! _Thank you, Akani-chan!_ Oh, no need to thank me, Princess! All in a days work! We good to go? Yes? Awesome! Let's go!" I tried to escape but Tokuma snatched the back of my shirt, my collar almost choking me.

"Gack! What the hell, Princess!"  
"_You almost killed us!_" he snarled. "On top of that, you made such a racket that the whole forest knows where we are! Do you even think before you act?" I opened my mouth to reply when he cut me off. "Of course you don't! You've always been brash and impulsive! You simply don't care about anyone but yourself!"  
My face burned with anger. "_What did you just say?_" I hissed venomously, getting in his face.

"You heard me," he replied, equally pissed. "You disregarded the safety of your teammates with that earth jutsu! Have you even used it before today?"  
"Yes!" I cried, almost ripping my hair out in frustration. "I've been working on that damn jutsu for the past month! I'll admit that it's the first time I managed to get it to work so well, and I'm sorry if I put you guys in danger but I just…"

"You what, Akani?" Tokuma spat. "Didn't think that by tearing up the earth the trees wouldn't be uprooted and fall, almost crushing us?"  
"I trusted that you two would be fine, and you are!" I snapped, looking between Muta and Tokuma before focusing on the former. "What about you, Muta? Did you think that using a jutsu that _effectively eliminated over half the freaking puppets_ was a stupid idea?"  
Muta adjusted his glasses uncomfortably. "The jutsu was extremely effective in destroying the marionettes."  
"Thank you!" I cried.

"However…" He paused, seeming to think about what he was going to say. "However, despite your incredible spatial awareness, you did not factor in the danger to your teammates."

I stared at the two of my teammates blankly for long moments before digging into my pockets for the scroll. I shoved it into Tokuma's hands before turning my back to them. "I'm going to look for some more water." I needed to be alone to fume or else I'd hit something that resembled someone's face.  
I was about to push off when a hand clamped down on my bad shoulder. Hard. I couldn't help but cry out from the lance of pain. Tokuma quickly withdrew his hand, frowning a little at my whimpering form and the blood coating his fingers.

"You're hurt," he accused, as if it were _my_ fault.

"That tends to happen when you get senbon spat at you by crazy possessed bits of termite lunch," I responded dryly.

Tokuma sighed, turning towards Muta. "Muta-san, go look for some more water while I patch the idiot up."  
Muta nodded and took off, both of them ignoring my offended 'Oi!'

I whirled on Tokuma. "I could have done that myself," I snarled.

"You're injured, moron," he said, none too harshly. "In a forest where predators are attracted to the scent of blood. You need to be patched up."  
I blinked, feeling incredibly stupid. I hadn't thought about that. "Oh."

The Hyuga gently pried the giant scroll from my back. My teammates and sensei were the only ones I'd trust to do that. Anyone else would find themselves sans eyebrows from an 'accidental' wayward explosive tag.

He unsealed a first aid kit and forced me to sit down on the tree branch. I obeyed, but only just. I sat a few inches from where he told me to sit.

Rebellious.

"I have to cut the arm of your shirt off," he muttered, all business though I could imagine he was a little pink around the cheeks. Whenever I got hurt on missions it was always Kushina-sensei to patch me up if it was somewhere… not suitable for a boy to look even though I was flatter than a board.

I nodded stiffly and a _snip snip_ later my arm was free, blood trickling slowly from the senbon wounds. My teammates had long since seen my scars – seriously, it was difficult to hide them when you're always getting into trouble as a team on a week long mission – but the air on my exposed skin made me feel a little uncomfortable.

Tokuma cleaned and dressed the wound quickly, which I was thankful for. We were both awkwardly silent through the whole thing, though he could tell I was itching to break the silence.

He sighed, tying the bandage tightly near my collarbone.

I looked like swiss cheese beneath it.

Goody.

"I'm sorry," I blurted before he could say anything. I fixed my attention to the scroll now resting in my lap, fiddling with the edge of the paper. "I just… I'm sorry."  
Tokuma sighed again, shaking his head a little. "It's fine. We're safe, though it was a close call. And we have the scroll. All we have to do is get to the tower in the centre and we'll pass."

I grunted and we fell into companionable silence this time. It was good to know that even though I frustrated my teammates to no end they'd forgive me for being an idiot. Speaking of teammates…

"Hey, how long has Muta-kun be gone for?" I asked, worry creeping into my voice.

Tokuma stiffened, dojutsu activating instinctively. "Too long."

I bit my bottom lip. Muta could have just had a little trouble finding a stream, but even so he should have been back a while ago. "You don't think he ran into another team do you? Maybe the one you saw heading this way?"  
Tokuma frowned, clasping his hands to focus his chakra more clearly as he scanned his surroundings. After a moment his entire chakra shuddered dangerously before freezing in shock.

"What?" I demanded. "Is everything okay?"  
"I… the genin team that were supposed to meet up with us at the scroll," he choked out. "T-they're… dead."  
I blanched. "What?" I whispered. "They're dead?" He nodded. "But… this is just an exam! I didn't think anyone would want to kill a fellow Leaf shinobi!" It didn't make sense to me.

Even if another set of genin were serious, I highly doubted they'd be willing to kill a fellow comrade. Something didn't add up. "We have to find Muta."

Tokuma nodded. "Agreed. I'll scan for him n-" He was cut off by a loud buzzing sound, approaching quickly.

I focused on the small flickering mass of blue I recognised as Muta's chakra, though significantly smaller. It was one of his kikaichu and it was buzzing in distress. I held out my finger for it to land on and it began to pace, agitated. I held it up to my face.

"Can you lead us to Muta-kun?"

It buzzed angrily before flicking its wings into flight and taking off at a fast clip. I shared a worried glance with Tokuma and we both sped off to chase the small beetle. It was a minor miracle that it hadn't been eaten on the way to find us. Our worry propelled us forward, bark crunching beneath our feet as we pushed off to find out teammate.

The kikaichu lead us further inside the forest and past a small stream where I caught the scent of blood. Muta's blood.

Tokuma's lips thinned as he sidestepped the puddle of red, making sure I didn't step in it. It wasn't enough to kill the Aburame, but it was enough to make us panic about whether he was bleeding out or heavily injured and unconscious.

The kikaichu hovered over the puddle, its buzz becoming slow and almost sounding like it was mourning. That didn't bode well. I focused my chakra and flared it, searching for my friend. I didn't have to look far, since he was approaching Tokuma and I at a fast pace though he was unconscious.

Someone was carrying him.

Tokuma, still with his Byakugan activated, faced the other side of the stream at the same time I did. We didn't have to wait for long as a trio of unknowns appeared on the muddy bank, an unconscious Muta slung over one man's shoulder.

I heard Tokuma inhale a sharp breath and withdraw a kunai. "Iwa," he hissed. "How did they get inside Leaf territory?"  
The man holding Muta ignored Tokuma completely, instead focusing his gaze on me. His aura was chilling and made my knees want to knock together but I bit my tongue to focus myself. "Are you Akani?"

I straightened ever so slightly. "Who wants to know?"

"My name is Hayase of the Hammer Fist. Remember the name of your executioner, child," the man snarled. "Three years ago you singlehandedly defeated a group of chunin. Two of them were my brothers."

I paled, swaying a little. How the hell did Iwa get wind of that? I'd sealed them, yes, but as far as I knew they pretty much 'disappeared.'

And Iwa wouldn't acknowledge the group that had infiltrated Konoha to save international face and gain sympathy from the big, bad Leafies trying to accuse them of doing something mean.

But that still didn't answer how they knew my name, and how they knew that _I _was the one to seal them. It seemed Konoha had a very well informed spy. I could feel Tokuma glancing at me in confusion from the corner of his eye, but I ignored him, too lost in thought.

The Iwa shinobi tutted. "All I want to know is if you're the brat called Akani. Just a name, that's all."  
"And if I say it isn't?" I asked. "Would you let us go?"  
"Probably not," the man shrugged casually. "It seems my former village has a beef with the Leaf, and as much as I hate the place I suppose I could do them this one favour by killing a few potential threats like, say, a fuinjutsu prodigy?"

I blinked. Did he just say 'former village?' So… he was a missing nin?

_So boned. I'm so boned._

I slipped out of my defensive stance, taking a step towards the enemy nin. The other two hadn't spoken yet, but I still kept an eye on them. Maybe they were mute? "If I say I'm Akani, would you release the Aburame?"

The man shrugged once again and bodily tossed my teammate across the stream towards Tokuma who caught him awkwardly. Before I could blink the man was in front of me, his elbow lodged in my stomach. I doubled over, mouth open wide as I coughed out blood. Before I could find my breath I was lifted off the ground by a massive hand squeezing my throat. Tokuma had his hands full with our injured teammate, so all he do was watch helplessly and keep an eye on the other two unknowns.

Pain bloomed and my eyes watered as my legs kicked nothing but air, my fingers uselessly scratching at the arm holding me. My lungs were beginning to burn from the lack of oxygen, but all I could do was laugh reedily.

"_Shut up_," the missing nin hissed. "I'm going to kill you nice and slow, like how you killed my brothers."  
"I… I d-didn't," I wheezed. The man loosened his grip by a fraction and breathing became a little easier. "I haven't k-killed… _anyone_."  
"Liar!" the man roared. "You're the one who sealed them! You're the only fuinjutsu student capable of doing such a thing! Don't _insult _me by lying! Own the blood on your hands like a true shinobi!"

I was squeaking out breaths by now, tears flowing freely because I couldn't breathe and I was going to die and _Kami, I can't breathe!_

But somehow, everything felt detached as I let out an amused, strangled chuckle. "You… forgot o-one th-thing," I wheezed.

"Oh?" the man hissed venomously. He jerked me closer until we were almost nose to nose. "And what is that?"  
"Never touch a sealer," I hissed before gripping his arms and activating one of the seals I could actually do without hand seals. It was an explosive one. The seal lit up blue and hissed into his skin, making the man howl in pain and drop me.

I collapsed onto the forest floor, my head swimming as I gulped in oxygen just as the explosive seals detonated on the man. I didn't expect it to do much other than buy time since the man was obviously of a higher calibre than any of Team Two. He managed to override most of the side, but he's have some lovely third degree burns for his efforts.

"Tatsu, Oshi, Tori!" I intoned brokenly, fingers twisting into the appropriate hand seals and shooting my fingers skywards. The emergency flare shot into the sky and exploded.

I almost sagged with relief until I realized that there were still three enemy nin vying for my blood.

Tokuma had leapt out of the way with Muta sometime during the ordeal, caught between defending Muta or trying to help me. I shot him a small smile that was more like a grimace. This was like that time with Rin all over again, though this time the Iwa nin actually _wanted_ to kill me.

Fun.

"Go get help," I told my teammate. "I'll be fine." Though I certainly didn't feel it. Some part of me was silently begging that he'd stay, that he wouldn't listen to me and stubbornly stay but he had to go find help. His Byakugan was the quickest way to do that. I got frustrated as his hesitation, as well as mine. "Just go!"  
He waited a long moment before nodding and picking up Muta. "Be back soon."  
I nodded. "I'll be seeing you."

What a morbid joke, especially for one who's blind.  
Gallows humour, I suppose.

Tokuma left and I was left alone. I tamped down hard on the near overwhelming sense of panic threatening to rise inside of me. "You just want me, right? No one else? You'll let my teammates go?"  
Hayase cracked his neck, grinning. "Of course. This won't take long. This is for my brothers."  
I unravelled my scroll and twisted it around me to form a barrier just as the ex-Iwa nin coated his fists in earth and came at me with deadly intent.

My paper barrier was strong when infused with chakra, but Hayase was a powerhouse. The blow caused a mini shockwave that pushed me and my little paper ball barrier backwards into the base of a tree. I was rattled around inside like a ragdoll. My concentration almost slipped but I managed to focus once more to coat my barrier in another layer of paper, making sure to face a number of surprise storage seals outwards.

I was _way_ out of my depth.

All I could do was make sure I stayed alive long enough for my teammates to get somewhere safe and perhaps get help.

Another earth shattering punch almost cracked my barrier and I hastily repaired it, unleashing a torrent of sealed senbon to where I could sense Hayase. It did absolutely nothing, and now he knew my barrier had a few hidden tricks.

"Fuck."

* * *

Tokuma grit his teeth as he hefted his teammate further onto his shoulders, leaping from tree branch to tree branch with his Byakugan activated. He could see Akani facing off against the Iwa nin, Hayase of the Hammer Fist at the edge of his vision. Although she could be an idiot sometimes she was smart and would last until he found help.  
She'd be okay.

At least, he hoped so.

His jaw popped from the pressure of clenching it so hard. Over two years together and saving one another's butts had given him a healthy respect for the blind Uzumaki. Each time he thought she had reached her pinnacle she shattered it. She was incredible, and that's why he had to faith that she'd be okay.

She slipped out of view, but not before he saw her activate her paper ball barrier and he felt himself relax a little. Not much could get through that stupid paper when she decided to be serious.

Movement up ahead made him tense back up again until he heard the exclamation of 'youth.' He violently suppressed a shudder. How Akani was friends with a kid like Guy would forever remain a mystery. Uncaring of the potential clash between Guy's team and their opponents he leapt in between them, realising he was out of breath and weak from the hasty retreat.

His knees wobbled and he fell onto one knee, gently manoeuvring Muta so he would tumble harmlessly to the forest floor. He heard a feminine gasp and looked up to find Rin rushing over to him. So, he'd interrupted a fight between Guy's team and Kakashi's?

"What happened?" Rin demanded, chakra flickering green as she began to run a diagnostic on Muta and heal his stab wounds that looks worse than what they were.

"Muta went to get some water when Akani-san and I realised he was gone too long. He was attacked." He looked Kakashi – the only chunin available and one of the recognised evaluators. "Some missing Iwa nin killed a group of genin and attacked Muta. They're after Akani." He noticed Rin stiffen from the corner of his eyes. He faced her. "You know something."  
She continued to heal Muta. "I don't know what you mean."  
"Don't lie! What do you know?" he snarled, fingers alight with piercing chakra. He was a bit past boiling point by this stage.

"Don't talk to Rin-chan like that!" Obito snapped, stomping towards him.

"If Rin knows why the Iwa nin were after Akani-san, _my teammate and your friend_, then I want to know why! He said something about her defeating a number of Iwa chunin three years ago. What. Do. You. Know?"  
Rin glanced between his serious face and the curious onlookers. She sighed. "Hokage-sama told me not to say anything, but…" She bit her lip. "You know how she's from _that clan_?" The ones in the know nodded. "Well… I was with her trying to teach her better chakra control and medical jutsu when we were attacked by four Iwa nin. She told me to leave and find help. I did, but when we arrived, Akani-chan… she… It was incredible. She was incredible. Before the ANBU could attack she whipped out a scroll and proceeded to seal _all four chunin_ in a single _scroll_."  
"Impossible," Guy's teammate Ebisu stated, awestruck as his other teammate Genma seemed to inhale his senbon toothpick.

"I know what I saw!" Rin snapped, finishing her healing of Muta.

"Where is Akani-chan now?" Guy asked, expression deadly.

"Three kilometres that way," Tokuma replied calmly pointing towards the stream.

Guy nodded before taking off, blending into the tree line in an instant. Obito made a move to follow before Kakashi stopped him.

"Get out of the way, Hatake," the Uchiha spat. "I'm going to help."  
"No. You're going to go alert the ANBU to the presence of Iwa infiltrators. I'm going to intercept the enemy."  
"But-"

"I'm the only chunin here," Kakashi said frostily, making Tokuma narrow his eyes. That sounded dangerously close to worry in his opinion. "In saying that, I'm in charge. Follow your orders, _genin._ I'll go after Guy."

Obito twitched before shoving past the silver haired boy. "Fine," he hissed. "But if Akani-chan dies, I'm blaming you."  
Kakashi ignored him and they went their separate ways, leaving behind two very confused genin and a frowning Rin.

Tokuma couldn't hold onto his strength anymore and fell onto his back. He wasn't a stamina freak like Kushina-sensei or Akani, and he didn't have any kikaichu to regulate his bodily functions like Muta. Rin snapped out of her daze and rushed to his side, smiling a little sheepishly.

"Sorry. It's all pretty sudden. One moment we were about to fight over a scroll and the next we're on high alert for enemy nin." She shook her head, brown hair swinging about her shoulders. "And all I can think about is if Kakashi-kun will be okay."  
Tokuma frowned. "And Akani-san."  
Rin nodded, smiling somewhat sadly in a way that confused the Hyuga. "Yeah. Akani-chan too. Kakashi-kun's going to save her. I don't doubt that."  
The tone in her voice made him watch her curiously from the corner of his eye as she healed his fatigue.

Rin sounded defeated.

… now, why was that?

* * *

"Shit," I hissed. "Shit, shit, shit!"

I'd run out of kunai from my storage seal. Quite a feat since I packed that thing with what must have been half the weapons shop. I couldn't use any earth jutsu since they were Iwa shinobi and that was their specialty. They'd probably just slap a boulder away and say 'oh, what an annoying fly' or some shit.

Water was also out since, though it came easier than earth, I didn't have much control over the direction of my jutsu. My drilling vortex was strong, but it would leave me exhausted, ergo defenceless. Water bullets also out since I was too panicky to concentrate on holding the water to my fingertips.

That left my trumps trump.

I hastily withdrew the scroll from inside my shirt and unravelled it, unsealing a pair of elbow length metal clawed gauntlets.

I quickly donned the weapons Io made for me. These were actually version umber seven since the prior six were bloody impossible to use or wield easily. The short weapons inventor had begrudgingly listened to my design ideas and went with it and I was happy to say that I loved the things to bits. Took a bit of trial and error to get used to them, but I got there in the end with Kushina's help.

I clenched my metal coated fists and tightened the leather straps just as another of Hayase's punches met my barrier and I was pushed further into the tree's root system. I was being bounced around like a freaking pinball.

"Enough of this!" Hayase roared, his voice sounding slightly muffled through my barrier. "Face your fate like an honourable shinobi, brat!"  
I took a deep breath to steady myself and withdrew my chakra from my barrier, causing the paper to rewrap itself into its scroll form. The area in front of me looked like a pincushion. I didn't realise I had _that_ many kunai and senbon.

Hayase grinned viciously, eying my new weapons. "All out of pointy things so you have to don the kiddy gloves?" he taunted, leaking almost suffocating killing intent.

The metal of my gloves rattled from how hard I was shaking but I clenched my fists until the tips of the claws met my skin. The sting snapped me out of it, but only just.

"I didn't kill your brothers," I told him, which was apparently the wrong thing to say.

Hayase's chakra churned and frothed with pure rage and I was absolutely terrified because it was all directed at me.

"Little _bitch_," he hissed. "They're dead! I know they are!"  
"They're not!" I countered, voice rising from panic. "I didn't kill them! I only sealed them!"  
"I received their severed heads!" Hayase roared, darting forward at a speed that was almost impossible for me to comprehend. I whipped my hands up and created a chakra shield that met his earth hardened fist with a deafening crack. I cried out in pain as I went soaring backwards. I think he shattered some of the weaker metal joints and they stabbed into my arms, but my arms were on fire so I couldn't be too sure. My back met the dirty ground with a thud, my breath leaving me and once again the Iwa nin took the opportunity to get inside my already flimsy guard. I was a genin, and no matter how good I thought I was, it was clear Hayase was stronger, faster… just better.

I rolled out of the way of a downwards kick that sprayed me with dirt. I scrabbled to my feet and moved into a defensive position.

Hayase chuckled darkly. "So, you're finally going to fight eh? Makes things more fun."  
"Hayase-sama," one of the other two of his entourage spoke up hesitantly. "We really should be going soon. The Leaf ANBU will be here any min-"

"Shut up!" Hayase snarled. "Or I'll put you down like that stupid talking rodent."  
_That _caught my attention. I'd only met one talking 'rodent.' I thought Usagi was another genin's summons. Could I have been wrong?

"Usagi-chan? What did you do to Usagi-chan?" I demanded.

"My stupid summon didn't want me to find you. Said you were a nice kid or some shit," Hayase drawled. "So he's not going to be hopping for a while."

I was disgusted. "You're a monster."

And that really terrified me. I wasn't naïve as to pretend the world was all rainbows and butterflies, where everyone ate cake and sang while holding hands. This was a nitty-gritty place where sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind, but I couldn't understand the unnecessary cruelty that Hayase seemed to revel in.

"I am," Hayase admitted proudly. "And you're going to find out why you shouldn't go to sleep without checking under your bed first, little girl."

He attacked again, but this time I was expecting it. I managed to use my small size to my advantage and duck a leg to plant my hands onto the ground, an explosive seal spreading underneath him. I somersaulted out of the blast zone and clapped my hands together, activating the tag. The explosion pushed me forward a bit but I managed to hop to my feet.

Hayase had managed to jump out of the way in time. Damn.

He unleashed a barrage of kunai and I unlatched a small clip at the base of my elbow gauntlets. I swung my hands towards an overhanging tree branch and chains whipped out to stab into the wood. A slight tug caused the chain to retract and pull me upwards.

I'd never done that before, and couldn't help the sigh of relief as I landed safely.

"Oh, so more than just kiddy gloves, ne?" Hayase sneered.

I grinned cheekily, making small sparks between my metal claws. "I'm full of surprises."  
What a lie.

I was all out of ideas and talking out of my ass.

_Where the fudge was the backup!_

I leapt away from another spray of kunai that missed by bare inches. Unfortunately the Iwa nin met me halfway and kicked me down to the earth. I landed harshly, knees buckling to brace myself. I grit my teeth. I had to show that I could at least land a hit on someone like Hayase. He was getting overconfident and that meant that he was underestimating me, though he made sure to stay out of range of my hands.

I didn't want to tell him that I could only do a handful of sealess explosive tags in a row. Molding the chakra like that made my arms ache and palms burn.

The ex-Iwa nin descended with his fist outstretched to punch the ground next to me, only I moved in a way he wasn't expecting and that cost him a a split second of composure. I didn't go left, right or down. I went up, and met him halfway with a chakra metal enhanced punch to the jaw. I made sure to swipe the sharpened finger points across his face to nick his cheek with three deep scratches.

"Ha!" I crowed as Hayase retreated to the side of the kunai-littered stream. I gave him the middle finger which coincidentally also had a large bead of blood sliding down the sharpened tip. "What about kiddy gloves now?"

Hayase grinned and I was frozen stiff because it was one full of cunning. With a start I realised I couldn't see his other two teammates until they appeared on either side of me, pinning me down to the ground by the arms.

I flailed but got a fist to the gut for my troubles. I couldn't do anything other than wince over my already bruised and battered body. Hayase stalked closer, his grin turning into a full blown 'I'm-effing-crazy-and-should-be-locked-up' smile. He glanced towards his two companions. "Take her glasses off. I want her to see the face of the man who avenged his family."  
I tried to bit one hand that came too close, though I knew it was futile. Whoever the guys holding me were, they were strong and smart enough to keep away from my gauntlets and outstretched palms. My glasses were removed, showing my milky eyes to the enemy.

Hayase blanched in anger. "You… you're blind."  
I rolled my sightless eyes, feeling cold on the inside. "Wonderful observation. I hadn't noticed."  
"You're _blind_," he snarled. "You never even saw the faces of the men you killed! You insult the memory of my brothers! _I'll rip you to shreds!_"

Then, to my horror he withdrew a twelve inch short blade. I'd never even noticed it until he withdrew it with a sharp, metallic _shing_. The blade sped down towards my exposed form but before he could connect, the amazingly beautiful cry of 'Dynamic Entry!'

Hayase was booted in the face, but it didn't stop the blade. It just redirected it.

Metal slid into me and pain exploded everywhere as I felt myself go numb with shock. All I could think as the world around me slipped into darkness amongst pockmarks of blue was _Kushina-sensei is going to kill me_.

Just before I went under I saw Kakashi engage the enemy with Guy as backup and for a moment I could have sworn he went into a panicked rage when he saw me skewered on the ground.

But that was all in my head.

I succumbed to the pain and blacked out.

* * *

**Woooooooow, longest chappy EVER. Sorry to leave it at a cliffy, but I couldn't resist because I'm a sadist :P**

**Reviews please! I love reading your thoughts on the story.**

**How did you like the fight scenes? I'll admit that I really suck at writing them, but I hope I did okay. Not quite what you were expecting? But, on the bright side, GUY AND KAKASHI TO SAVE THE DAY!  
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! :D**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I have freckles and when I'm bored I join them together with a pen to make pictures. My daughter loves joining in too haha**

**I can make a killer lemon meringue pie (as in it's yummy, not poisonous, though my first few attempts were pretty close...)**

**Vanilla flavoured milkshakes confuse me and they don't bring all the boys to my yard :(**

**The eyes are a self cleaning organ.**

**The strongest muscle in your body - in comparison to size - is your tongue.**

**Your skin is your largest organ.**

**Fingernails grow quicker than toenails.**

**Our fingers go wrinkly in water to provide better grip on underwater and slippery surfaces, as well as tell ya when to get out of the freaking bath :P**


	22. I'd rather be scum

**WOOOOOOW! MY BAD! I didn't think it would take sooooo long to write this freaking chappy, but I FINALLY finished it.**

**I apologise since it's short, but the next one will be long to make up for this one! PROMISE!**

**In other news, I've been getting some PM's that aren't very nice. I'm not gonna name names, since that wouldn't be cool but can I just say that I never claimed to be a perfect author, and I'm not aspiring to be. I'm writing this story because I was inspired, and if you don't like it STOP READING.**

**Seriously, it's uber simple.**

**No like? No read.**

**Don't complain to me about how much you don't like my work. I appreciate criticism, but crossing that line from critique to just plain ass-hole-ishness doesn't exactly enamor yourself to anyone. But anyways, like I said, I don't claim to be perfect. Stop reading if you have a problem and don't waste my time by writing a PM that I'm just gonna delete anyways. Makes things a hella lot more simple.**

**Historia Thirteen: Yes! Akani will be paired up with someone, but it'll be slow build up since she has a big responsibility and stuff. Plus she's a little ignorant of stuff like that, so yeah :P**

**Tennisbunnyrox: Yes. Yes there will be more interaction between Tia and Akani. I read this review and was like O_O" because... well, just read lol**

**Uncertain Shifter: I know technically it's supposed to be Maito Gai, but english translation is Might Guy, and, well... I'm too lazy to change it this far in lol Sorry!**

**Barryium: Ooooooh, Rin is a little jealous, isn't she? She's a bit torn between thinking Akani is just like a little annoying sister to Kakashi, and something more than that. There are many different types of love, after all. Sibling love, romantic love, food love (LOL) - so Rin's just feeling more than a little confused and her thoughts are going everywhere right now. Poor Rinny.**

**Sin of the Fallen: What's wrong with a bunny contract? Huh? Tigers and dragons and equally agressive stuff like that are all overdone in Naruto fanfics in my opinion and I sat there thinking 'Now, beemera, what sort of animal is unassuming but can help out a budding fuinjutsu specialist and still be pretty helpful in other stuff too?' *cough-think of Haku's pet rabbit and how useful it was-cough***

**BAM! Rabbits and Hares lol ALSO KNOWN AS MEMBERS OF THE LEPORIDAE FAMILY!**

**BOOM! Fun fact.**

**ANYWHOODLES, REVIEWS = LOVE AND COOKIES SO MAKE ME A JOLLY, FAT AUTHOR! :)**

**ONWARDS!**

* * *

I groaned and sat up, my entire body aching. "Owie."  
"You can't seem to keep outta trouble huh, little bit?" said an achingly familiar voice.

I froze, eyes wide and damp. "T-Tia?"  
"The one and only," she chuckled.

A smile bloomed on my face. I'd actually missed her. If I had an older sister, I'd imagine her to be like Tia. Then I realised that the last time I met with Tia was when I was in limbo all those years ago. "Um… am I dead?"  
"No."

"Dying?"  
"No."  
"Oh." I frowned, thoroughly confused. "I thought you went on to the afterlife?"

"I kinda did, but it seems the barrier between life and death is as flexible as it is rigid," she mused. "But enough of the doom and gloom! Look at you! Aren't you a wittle cutie, huh?"  
"I wouldn't know," I said dryly, feeling a little bitter. What I looked like was my life's greatest mystery.

Tia laughed sheepishly. "Heh, right. Forgot about that. Anyways, things seem to be going pretty well huh? Besides the, you know, getting stabbed thing."  
I rolled my eyes. "Peachy." Tia laughed heartily and I sighed sadly. "This isn't real, is it?"  
"It's as real as you need it to be," came the vague reply.

I pouted, crossing my arms. "Great. Now I'm stabbed _and_ going crazy."  
"I wouldn't say you're crazy," Tia said. "Okay, maybe just a little, but that's part of the charm. Part of the reason why you've made so many friends, huh? Like that Uchiha kid."  
"Which one?" I asked.

"Oh? More than one, eh?" Tia squealed happily, making me wince. "Did you meet Itachi? Is he as cute in real life?"  
"He's four," I deadpanned. "But yeah, he's a little cutie. Shisui-chan is annoying, but he has his moments and Obito is… well, he's still my Obi."  
Tia hummed. "Getting attached are we?"  
"Well, yeah, I mean…" I licked my lips, looking down towards the ground. "I never expected to, but… I couldn't help it, you know? I care for them all."  
"But Obito has to 'die,'" Tia reminded me emotionlessly.

I clenched my fists, immediately feeling pissed off. Tia didn't know Obito. _I_ did, and he didn't deserve to be treated as a pawn. He was my best friend besides Kakashi though the latter was loathe to acknowledge my mere existence most days.

"It's not fair," I spat. "Obito didn't ask for any of this. It's not fair! Why him? Why not someone else, huh? You don't know him! He works hard and although he's an idiot he's the most courageous person I know! _It's not fair!_"  
"Life's not fair kiddo, but you can't change what happens to him because the whole future will be compromised. Don't save him. Don't falter, remember?" Tia scolded.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" I cried, shooting to my feet. "You don't know him! You don't even know me! You're just some stupid imprint that I never asked for, and now you're saying that I have to off one of my closest friends? How dare you!"

"The needs of the many overtake the needs of the few!" Tia yelled. "I'm sorry that he has to be hurt, but it has to be this way, or do you _want_ everyone to possibly die because you changed things?"  
"No! I'll save Obi! Things don't have to be bad anymore! I don't want _anyone_ to die!"

And that was the truth. I know I told the Hokage that a few people would have to die because they were 'necessary' deaths, but I'd gotten too attached. It wasn't fair that my closest blood relative and sensei would die at the hands of my best friend because he lost a loved one, who also happened to be a good friend of mine.

This whole situation was fucked up, and I was caught right in the middle of it with nowhere to go.

"Stop being such a brat!" Tia shouted.

"Shut up!" I roared, fists clenched at my sides. "This isn't your world! You're dead! _I'm_ alive! This is _my life_ we're talking about! _My_ people! _My _family! Stop acting like this is one big joke!"  
"I'm not, you little shit! I'm _trying_ to help you! Sacrifices have to be made and that sucks but you gotta deal with it! Grow up!"  
I sniffled, fighting back tears. "I _hate_ you," I hissed.

She didn't know Obito. She didn't know Rin. She didn't know Kushina. She didn't know Minato or Jiraiya or the Sandaime. She didn't know _anything_ about the people that were precious to me besides what she had seen or read as part of a fictional reality. _I _had lived through the good times and the bad with them, and she hadn't. She didn't know. _She didn't know!_

I… I couldn't – _wouldn't_ – let anything happen to the people I love.

It wasn't fair! It wasn't-

Tia was suddenly on me, arms clamped tightly around my form, shocking me.

"W-what are you doing? Let go!" I tried to wiggle out of her grip, but she held tight.  
"I'm sorry, little bit, but this is for the greater good," she said stiffly before her lips met my forehead.

Pain seared my brain and I couldn't help the scream that clawed its way from my throat, and abruptly it was all gone, but I felt like I was forgetting something important.

Something involving my best friend and sensei.

Something big, something… just, something…

But for the life of me, I couldn't remember what that something was.

The ghostly arms unravelled themselves from around me and I sunk to the ground.

* * *

I woke with a gasp as pain flared in my arm. I cringed, or at least tried to until I realised I was in someone's embrace and an explosion sounded close by. It was a horrible sense of déjà vu from when my mother had taken me from our home as a child. I flared my chakra, recognising Rin. She was using chakra to enhance her muscles to carry me.

What was she doing here? Did she come to help me, or did she follow Kakashi?

I squirmed, making the older girl focus on me.

"Oh thank Kami!" she breathed before ducking behind a rather large tree. She gently placed me on the ground and began to heal my throbbing arm through some bandages I couldn't remember getting.

"What's happening?" I groaned, partly at how fuzzy I felt and part at the relief as Rin's chakra soothed my wounds.

"Kakashi-kun and Guy-san have engaged the Iwa nin," Rin murmured absently, worry etching her voice. "Guy-san's teammates are watching over Tokuma-san and Muta-san while Obito-kun has gone to guide the ANBU unit here."

"How long was I out?"

"About twenty minutes. The sword went through your arm, but was coated in a poison that severely relaxed your muscles and heightened the sensitivity of your nerve receptors simultaneously. You stopped breathing which caused a lack of oxygen coupled with searing pain and you blacked out but I managed to rid your body of the toxin. Akani-chan," she added softly. "It was a poison made for torture and interrogation. They were going to…"

I let that digest for a moment. So, Hayase really believed that I was the one to kill his brothers, huh? And he came prepared specifically to maim and torture me before killing me. Surprisingly, it didn't really freak me out. All I felt was this… numbness. A cold focus.  
I nodded before standing, shaking her off. "Where's my gauntlets and scroll?"  
"You're not going anywhere while you're wounded," Rin snapped, trying to tug me down again. "Let Kakashi-kun and Guy-san handle it until the ANBU get here!"

I held firm, stilling her with a glare. "Kakashi and Guy-kun are fighting _my_ battle. The Iwa nin are after _me_, not them and the ANBU aren't gods, Rin. They need time to get here, time that Kakashi and Guy-kun might not have. I'm going to fight, and you're not going to stop me."  
Rin was silent as we stared each other down, but eventually the medic gave an almost inaudible sigh, twisting my scroll off her body from its place on her back. She rubbed her shoulders, watching me strap it in place.

"Kami, how do you wear that thing all the time? My shoulders are so sore!"  
I grinned brightly. "Practice! Now, my gauntlets?"  
"Here," she dug into the large medical pack she always toted, withdrawing my metal gloves and handing them to me, taking care to avoid the sharpened claws.

I buckled them onto my forearms, grimacing as I felt a few twisted joints. Io was gonna kill me for wrecking them so soon. Oh well. Perks of the job, I suppose.

"Head back to my teammates and make sure they're okay. Muta-kun was hurt pretty badly," I said. Muta's kikaichu would be focusing on trying to keep him alive which meant chewing through chakra and that equalled exhaustion.

Rin gave a hesitant nod. "Alright, but… Akani-chan, your arm is-"

"Still in working condition," I cut off, rotating my shoulder to show my point. There was stiffness, and a slight tug at the new skin but it was bearable. "Now go and make sure Princess and Bugs aren't freaking out, okay? Tell em I'm fine."  
She tried to smile but it flickered oddly. "Alright. Be safe, okay?"  
I offered her a thumbs up. "Always am!"

Without another word I leapt up onto a high branch and took off at a fast clip towards where I sensed Kakashi and Guy still fighting. They were holding their own, but I could tell they were getting exhausted to the point that they were leaving themselves open. I stretched my senses further until I could feel Rin heading back towards my teammates who were still out cold from exhaustion and injury.

At the very edge of my range I could sense the chunin guards at the forest border, talking rapidly with some well compressed signatures I could tell were ANBU. They would be here soon, but not soon enough unless I did something to help out the Wonder Duo.

I dug out a soldier pill from my kunai pouch and crunched down, feeling the rush of energy and my chakra reserves refilling themselves rapidly.

I shot off the next tree branch with a little extra oomf, cracking the bark and making the wood creak dangerously. I focused inwards, squeezing my chakra until it was a tightened ball in my gut, making sure to stay quiet and hidden in the foliage as I arced around, trying to get on the enemy's blind side while slapping a seal on the bark of a tree every so often.

I was always good to have a plan B, or in this case a plan C, D, E and possibly F.

The trees were messing with my echolocation, so I couldn't see anything of the ruined clearing until I was just at the tree line. Kakashi and Guy were back to back, out of breath and brandishing kunai as Hayase and his two minions surrounded them.

The Iwa nin looked to be roughed up too, which was a good sign since it meant they were exhausting. Hayase seemed to have a screw loose, mind solely on revenge and killing me but he was now focused entirely on the two ninja in front of him. He flicked between goals quicker than Tokuma did emotion when he was man-struating.

I inhaled, then exhaled, feeling myself relax since they hadn't noticed my presence yet. I had to focus. I'd used up a majority of my sealed weapons, but I still had the six kunai in my thigh holster and chained gauntlets so I wasn't completely unarmed.

I sunk down into the root system of a large oak tree and unravelled the scroll on my back, searching for one storage seal in particular. It was filled with my chakra ink, brushes and spare tags.

I overheard Hayase talking trash to Kakashi and Guy but tuned it out to focus on unsealing my equipment and hastily scribbling on the paper. The seals wouldn't be Kushina-perfect since I still kinda sucked at writing under pressure, but they'd hold for as long as I needed.

I deftly tied the tags onto the ends of my kunai and hooked them in my fingers before walking vertically up the tree as quietly as I could. I slapped a seal on that sucker, too. A particularly large, bushy branch extended out over the clearing a bit, so I could hide there and enact my plan which was still – admittedly – being made up on the fly.

A leaf rustled as the edge of my scroll touched it, making me cringe when I saw Hayase's ears twitch. I held still, not even daring to breathe and allowed myself to relax a little when he didn't turn around to skewer me with weaponry.

He probably wrote it off as the wind, so invested was he in his goal of killing Kakashi and Guy. Hayase was getting sloppy.

I took aim, praying that I wouldn't be off and let the tagged kunai fly, making sure to add a little chakra so they'd cut through the air faster. Five kunai dug themselves into the ground surrounding Kakashi and Guy while the sixth landed at Hayase's feet, seal fizzling.

The explosive detonated at the Iwa nins feet just as I activated the barrier around my comrades who covered their faces at the brightness I couldn't see.

The enemy scattered and I swooped in, doing an unnecessary and decidedly flashy tuck and roll into the barrier, the wall bending around me, recognising me as its maker. I landed in a heap at Kakashi and Guy's feet, huffing a little from the adrenalin rush. I smiled up at them, sensing their surprise though Kakashi hid it better.

I waved enthusiastically "Hi!"

Kakashi ground his teeth. "_What are you doing?_" he hissed. "I had everything under control!"  
I rolled my eyes and stood, dusting myself off and not allowing myself to wince as my new wound threatened to split open. "Of course you did," I drawled. "Which was why I just saved your butts from being torn open. You're welcome, by the way."

Guy crushed me in his arms, sobbing. "Such youthfulness, my wonderful spring blossom!"

I sighed and shoved my fellow genin away from me as Kakashi pointed a finger in my face.  
"I was opening negotiations!" the chunin growled.

I blinked, slapping his hand away. "You think you can negotiate with a missing nin hell bent on killing me?"  
"Yes!"  
I snorted. "Good luck, genius."

"Thanks to you, we're stuck here!" Kakashi snapped. "We're sitting ducks."  
I smirked. "This barrier will mold around anyone I want it to, keeping those I don't want _in_, out. And besides… sitting ducks? I wouldn't say that."  
He eyed me warily. "What are you talking about?"  
I grinned broadly as I sensed the Iwa nin moving around the edges of the clearing, waiting and watching to no doubt attack. I clapped my hands together, the sound echoing throughout the clearing as I whispered 'Kai!'

The trees circling the clearing erupted into a giant fireball as the explosive seals I slapped onto the trunks detonated without warning. I heard a satisfying yell of fright as the Iwa nin came tumbling back into the clearing, smoking and banged up. One was already unconscious.

I bared my metal claws at Hayase who was wobbling to his feet. He must have had a burst eardrum from how his balance was off but it wouldn't keep a psycho like him down for long. Ninja tended to adjust rather quickly.

Before anyone could stop me I ducked out of the barrier, chains dropping from my gauntlets to hang at my sides. I would be eternally grateful that Kushina taught me how to use the stupid metal links in combat as a last resort, though I almost choked myself the first few times in practice and had turned blue by the time Kushina stopped laughing and helped me.

Hayase choked out a laugh before dissolving into full blown laughter as he saw who'd managed to blind side him and his posse. "So, you've come back for more? A pity that stab missed. Oh well," he grinned, withdrawing the same twelve inch blade still caked with my dried blood. "I'll make sure to aim true this time."

"Bring it, teme," I grinned, beckoning him.

He was slower than last time, but fast enough to have me ducking under a furious sword swipe. I twirled out of the way towards one of the other nin's who was almost collapsing from pain. The scrolls I normally kept hidden under my long sleeves – which had been cut or torn away at some point – were now hanging precariously off my pant waistband. I unravelled one quickly out of pure practice and threw it with my chains towards the other still conscious Iwa nin. The chains whipped back into my gauntlets as the scroll unwrapped itself and zigzagged over his form before settling heavily and flaring a bright blue as the gravity seal inked on the paper increased its weight two hundred-fold.

He wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

This all took place within a three second time frame and I rolled to avoid another slash of Hayase's blade. He was getting angry, and less focused while I was becoming the opposite. I still had some more scrolls hidden about my person. Tokuma wasn't lying when he said I was a walking storage facility, but that wasn't all I was good for.

I faced the Iwa nin who I decided to bump up from 'screw loose' to 'off the rails.'

"So, teme, where's this proclaimed Hammer Fist I _barely felt_, huh? Couldn't get through a mere bit of paper? Pathetic."

Probably a stupid idea to tempt the opposition, but I wasn't exactly known for my subtlety.  
Hayase ground his teeth, unleashing a near overwhelming killing intent that would have affected me had I not been the student of an irate red-headed sensei who tried to kill me whenever I sold her hot spring routine to a super pervert. I saw his earth chakra pool in his hands before he attacked, and I prepared myself to dodge only for him to change directions completely, shocking me.

He was heading towards the barrier, towards Kakashi and Guy who I made sure to keep inside the barrier. Hayase was aiming a punch at the ground, to disrupt the kunai and break my seals. He was going for my friends who I'd conveniently forgotten could take care of themselves. All I saw was friends and danger, and I reacted.

The weights Guy had given me were still strapped to my calves and I unclipped them with a small push of chakra. Before I could register what I had done I was already in between the barrier and Hayase, scroll panning outwards to protect me from the worst of the devastating punch. The hit shot me backwards into the barrier that I had tweaked when I first left it to not allow _anyone_ in or out. My back met the unmovable force with a sickening thud and I cried out in pain as I slumped onto one knee.

I barely dodged the follow through as Hayase had his sights set on me again, and I was now unbalanced. He twisted to try and smush me with an axe kick and my breaths were ragged as I rolled away, tumbling a little to try and get back on my feet. I needed to get back on the offensive and quickly since Hayase was becoming more deranged. Each move of the crazy man was wild and not thought out so I was able to dodge, though despite the fact he was tiring it was an extremely close call. He chased me around the clearing for a bit until I back flipped away from a rather hefty fist strike that threw up a spray of dirt.

"Stop moving so I can _squash you like scum!_" Hayase roared, fingers flying through hand seals at an incredible rate. "Earth Style; Earth Spears!"

The ground in front of me trembled as large spikes of dirt erupted and sped towards me. I molded my fingers and gathered my chakra, pushing it into the earth beneath me.

"Earth Style; Earth Wall!"

A solid block almost six foot thick, wide and tall shot upwards, my potent chakra increasing the density as the spears shattered harmlessly against my protective wall. While I was obstructed from view I took out two very special and _very expensive_ scrolls that were actually more of an experiment than anything.

"Akani! Let me out of here!" Kakashi ordered. "As the acting leader, I order you to drop this barrier!"

I shooed him off. "Nah, enjoy your vacation, Kashi-chan-boss-sir. No one threatens my friends and gets away with it. You two aren't gonna die for my sake."

"It is not very youthful to take on the enemy by yourself, Akani-chan!" Guy wailed. I ignored him, waving my hand towards the barrier so it strengthened again, much to the resident chunin's growing ire.

"Kami, I hope this works," I murmured as I dropped my earth barrier as I tugged the paper out. I sprinted across the clearing, long trails of glowing paper flowing behind me like ribbon. Hayase met me for speed, snarling like a rabid dog as he brandished his bloodied sword in an attempt to cut me or my paper down.

With a grunt of effort I forced more chakra into the paper, my dark world lined in bright blue as I forced it to bend to my will, the edges becoming razor sharp as I mentally repeated 'control and refine, control and refine.'

"Wait for it," I huffed, now feeling the drain. _Kami I'm so tired and sore and _Holy Shit _he's almost on me!_ "What are you waiting for, teme? Come at me already!"  
The Iwa nins reply was an ungodly roar of 'Die!' and suddenly he was in front of me and the metal was slicing downwards.

I had to kill him.

I had to kill the man who was just trying to avenge his family.

I had to kill a man who abandoned _everything_ because he now had _nothing_.

I had to kill him.

I had to kill.

I had to.

I had…

I…

My conscious mind was pushed away as I locked away my heart and tugged my arms in towards my body, clutching them closely to my chest. The scrolls, seemingly unimportant now to Hayase curled back around quickly like a paper tornado and sliced into flesh that wasn't mine.

Hayase was too focused on celebrating his victory early to notice right away. It wasn't until his sword stopped inches from my neck that his chakra registered pain and shock. I stared at him blankly as he dropped to his knees, lines of red appearing all over his body, dissecting him.

He was dead before he hit the ground, chakra winking out of existence until I couldn't see him at all.

I felt blank.

Wasn't I supposed to feel something right now?  
Why wasn't I disgusted?  
I felt… sad. Sad that a life was gone, but I wasn't sad that it was Hayase.

The man was obviously mentally unwell, but he'd gone after my friends. Did that make killing him to save myself and Kakashi and Guy okay?

To me, it did.

And that was scary, because I felt a little bit of my soul die inside.

My barrier around my friends collapsed just as I did, panting and almost out of refilled chakra. Before I could face plant into the dirt, a shoulder was there.

I grinned lazily. "Naw, Kashi-chan, you do care."

He growled, holding me awkwardly as Guy secured the other unconscious nin. "Shut up."

"You're welcome," I sighed.

"You disobeyed a direct order from an acting team leader. I shouldn't even be talking to scum like you," he snapped, but I could feel his chakra quiver a little around the heart. He wanted to believe his words. He really did, but a part of him was lying and he was covering it with bravado.

"Scum that refused to abandon a friend," I yawned.

"Shinobi rule number-"

"I hate those rules," I murmured, eyes starting to droop from exhaustion. "I'd rather make my own than see my besty die in front of me."

"Unbelievable," Kakashi hissed quietly.

I smiled. "And proud of it."

"It's nothing to be proud of."  
"Maybe not to a robot like you," I retorted, attempting to shove him away and stand on my own.

What happened next couldn't have been predicted by _anyone_.

Since I was so zapped, I wasn't flaring my senses beyond a twelve foot radius, and Kakashi was too busy gearing up for a witty retort to react as fast as he would have.

Obito had apparently been travelling incredibly quickly to keep up with the ANBU that flickered into place around the clearing. Being the idiot he was, he tripped on a tree root and crashed into his chunin teammate's back, sending both me and Kakashi tumbling end over end.

Kakashi landed on all fours on top of me.

I froze, lungs hurting from trying not to breathe.

We didn't move since we didn't really know how to react.

Kakashi's masked lips were pressed against mine and suddenly his whole presence was everywhere. His blue seemed a lot brighter up close, and I could actually _see _his face from the minute flare of chakra.

Both of our eyes were as wide as saucers.

I didn't even think about how I was actually having my first kiss with one of my best friends. I didn't even think of how much my back hurt from where a handful of rocks were digging into my skin.

All I could think was _Holy crap he's a pretty-boy._

"Akani-chan! You're alri-_OH KAMI! MY EYES! IT BURNS!_"

Obito's voice snapped Kakashi out of whatever state he was in and he leapt away from me as if burned. I felt hot and tingly and my tummy was rolling in a funny way.

I frowned. I wasn't getting sick again was I? Kushina was gonna kill me if I was

I tuned out Kakashi trying to put Obito in his place as the ANBU went about their business quickly. One with a boar mask stayed behind as the others disappeared with their quarry.

The ANBU's silent presence was enough to quiet the whole clearing. I stared dazedly up at him as he spoke in a deep baritone.

"Continue with the exams as planned. Hokage-sama will gather your reports at the end of the examinations." He turned to me, holding out what looked like a scroll that I gingerly accepted. "Yours, by right of conquest." With that he shimmered out of view, leaving behind a trail of leaves from a body flicker.

Kakashi, having snapped to attention like a perfect little soldier, turned to face the forest. "I'll go direct the others here," he murmured before taking off into the trees. I watched him go, a weird sinking feeling settling in my gut. I must have eaten a bad onigiri or something.

A tap on my shoulder startled me so much I whirled around and punched someone's face. It was Obito, who was now cradling his nose and rolling about the forest floor.

"Ow, ow, ow! Damnit Red, what was that for?!"

"Are you kidding me?" I shrieked, clutching my chest to try and calm my racing heart. "Don't sneak up on someone after they just finished fighting a lunatic! Adrenalin high, baka!"  
"Akani-chan!" Guy sobbed, suddenly at my side and holding my hand in between his. I'd actually forgotten he was there and it took _a lot_ of effort not to smack him in the face too. "Your heart is in the clutches of my eternal rival, who also now holds the privilege of your first kiss!"  
I balked. "Eh?!"

What the hell was happening?  
"My beautiful lotus blossom! You defeated the enemy with grace and marvellous, youthful skill! Kakashi-kun must have also noticed how youthful you were and did not follow proper etiquette in asking for a date like a gentleman!"  
"_EH?!_"  
He released my hand and gave me his trademark nice guy pose. "Have no fear, Akani-chan! When next I see my eternal rival, I shall challenge him to a duel for your honour! If I cannot beat him I will do two hundred laps around the village on my thumbs before trying again!"

He sped off before I could reply, leaving me gaping like a fish.

I whirled on Obito who was shaking his fist in the direction Guy went. "Stop calling Kaka-teme _your_ rival, you green weirdo!"

"Obi!" I shouted, slightly hysterical. "What the hell just happened?!" He scratched the back of his head and shrugged after a long moment. I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. "Great lotta help _you_ are!"

"Oi! It's not my fault I can't speak… _Green_." Obito shuddered. "You're lucky you can't see the _horror_," he whispered.

"Guy-kun's not that bad!" I defended. "He's just a little different, just like you and crying when something pokes you in the eye _through_ your goggles."  
"That's a legitimate problem, okay!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Hey, can you read this for me?" I held up the scroll the ANBU gave me.

"Gimme!" He snatched it out of my hands, eyes going wide. "No way! A summoning contract?! Where the heck did you get this?"  
I felt happiness grow in my chest. "What animal is it for? Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"  
"It says… lep… lappe… loperdray," he butchered, face scrunched in confusion. "What the hell is a loperdray?"  
"Leporidae, baka!" I insulted though it was ruined by my squeal of excitement. I stole it back from my Uchiha friend and unravelled it. I couldn't see anything on there since it wasn't written in chakra ink. "Alright, Obi, where do I sign?"  
He cleared his throat and turned the paper around so it was facing me the right way. I laughed sheepishly as he pointed to a vertical space. "Here, Red. You know how to sign one of these?"  
"Yeah, ero-baka taught me," I murmured absently, nicking my thumb on a canine before hastily scribbling my name and placing my bloodied handprint at the bottom.

"Which means you blackmailed and forced him," Obito deadpanned. He didn't know I referring to Jiraiya. He just knew that I sometimes got 'lessons' from a guy I called a pervy idiot and had a butt-load of blackmail material on.

I snapped the scroll shut with a bright grin and placed it on top of my battle scroll. "Of course! Now, stand back and watch the awesome!"  
I slowly performed the hand seals to make sure I wouldn't mess them up. "Boar, dog, bird, monkey, ram…" I molded chakra and slammed the hand I signed the contract with on the ground, pumping as much chakra into it as I dared.

Unfortunately that wasn't a lot since in my excitement I'd completely forgotten that the last move that finished off Hayase drained me like a broken dam.

A sealing array spread out underneath me and I felt the zap immediately, swaying a little as the summoning smoke dissipated in the clearing. I blinked blearily down at the three itty bitty bunnies that appeared who were shivering at the abrupt summoning. They were no doubt scared since Hayase had been a dick of a summoner.

"Aw, don't be scared, ickle ones," I cooed-slash-slurred. "I'm your new momma! Say hi to Usagi-chan for me!"

The three palm sized rabbits shared a glance – _so cute!_ – and disappeared as the last of my chakra dispersed and I was left yawning before face planting into the ground, fast asleep.

* * *

Obito's jaw unhinged at the sight before him.

"Bunnies," he muttered, completely bewildered. "Freaking bunnies."  
Akani-chan had just signed a summoning contract, and out of everything he was expecting – from tigers to fire breathing dragons – he _never_ expected three little cottontails to randomly poof into existence.

He simply stared, not sure whether to laugh or cry for his friend's sake and when she collapsed after the summons went back to wherever they came from, he simply still stared at her snoring form dumbly.

Akani-chan was weird.

He twisted around, kunai in hand when someone entered the clearing. He blinked before growling at his teammate, ignoring the two other teams that arrived with him. He pointed a shaky finger in Kakashi's direction. "You got a lot of nerve after what you did to Ak-"

Kakashi was suddenly in front of him, hand slapped over his mouth. He was used to Kakashi's speed, but this shocked even him. "_Never. Happened,"_ the chunin hissed lowly. Onyx burned into onyx as Kakashi's eyes seemed to glow dangerously. "Got it?"  
Obito shoved his teammate's hand off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever _lover boy_. Just… don't hurt Rin-chan, or I'll have to break your nose."

Kakashi snorted before toeing Akani who was drooling a little and still snoring.

Her two teammates, now fully awake and replenished thanks to Rin-chan's amazingly awesome skills and soldier pills sighed when they saw their kunoichi teammate.

"What happened?" the Hyuga – Tokuma – asked wearily.

"She signed a summoning contract and passed out when she used too much chakra."  
"Idiot," he sighed, exasperated but you could hear the relief and fondness in his voice. It was weird hearing the mix come from a Hyuga.

"Akani-san does not seem to think things through," Muta input unnecessarily.

"She doesn't think at all!" Rin snapped, shoving everyone out of the way and going into medic mode. "She was stabbed and poisoned and _still_ went to help _you two-_" she glared in Kakashi and Guy's direction, "-out of a sticky bind!"

"I had everything under control," Kakashi replied calmly. "Guy-san was an unnecessary presence though I will admit he helped."

"Thank you for the youthful compliment, my eternal rival!"  
Obito frowned. "But Guy-san got to Akani-chan _before_ you did, Kaka-teme. Or did that genius brain of yours forget that?"

"It doesn't matter," Tokuma snapped. "Akani-chan's an idiot and she does incredibly stupid things because she's the most emotionally unstable person I know, but she'll be fine because she's also strong." He glared at Kakashi when the chunin huffed a little. "Don't laugh. She saved you, didn't she?"  
"Indeed! Akani-chan rescued both Kakashi and I with her power of youth!" Guy shouted, tears brimming.

"She trapped us in a barrier to stop us from engaging the enemy!" Kakashi snapped. "It was idiotic and foolish, especially when she disobeyed a direct order from her superior to release it! Scum like that shouldn't become chunin, and I'll be saying as much to Hokage-sama when next I see him."  
A harsh buzz sounded about the clearing and everyone looked towards the stoic Aburame as he took calm steps towards the chunin. He adjusted his glasses. Every move was relaxed, though the tension in the air suggested otherwise.

"From what my teammate has relayed to me, Akani-san sacrificed herself for her comrades to get away, only to return to the fray despite being injured and healed when Rin-san followed you towards the clearing. Self-sacrifice is the way of the ninja, and I have no doubt that Akani-san believed that the man after her would not have stopped once he completed his goal of killing her. She is currently out cold from exhaustion from saving you and Guy-san who appear to be in good health if my initial visible assessment is accurate. If I have learnt one thing from being Akani-san's teammate, it is that she does not do many things without a further reason. As her comrade, I would have expected you to see past your petty views on being helped by a genin who I firmly believe is stronger than you in many ways and looked underneath the underneath. If that is what scum is, then I do believe I would rather be called as such. We shall see you at the tower."  
With that the Aburame walked past the shocked chunin and gathered his kunoichi teammate in his arms, scrolls and all. He gave a slight nod of goodbye before sharing a look with Tokuma and they both disappeared into the foliage.

Obito stared after them, emotion welling inside of him. Muta was right. Akani wasn't scum and if Kakashi thought she was, then that was his loss. Akani offered everyone an extended hand of friendship, winning over others with her determination and being there as a pillar of support as shown when she opened her home up to her teammates and friends the night before the exams.

She didn't tease them about being scared. She just accepted it and let them stay for as long as they wanted, calming them and abating all their fears with a friendly smile and ruthless teasing.

She was someone he could talk to about his problems with Rin, Kakashi and his clan. Hell, she even bought him and his cousins closer together simply through connection. She gave him that snippet of family back and didn't even think anything else of it, despite it lighting up his life in a way she would never know.

Obito's fists clenched as he glared at Kakashi. Sometime during his inner musings, Guy's team had taken off, leaving Team Seven alone in the scarred clearing.

Kakashi looked at him impassively as if he wasn't affected at all by Muta's words. "What are you looking at, moron?"

His eyebrow twitched but he didn't say anything other than let the bitter disappointment show. Kakashi wouldn't change. He would always think himself better, but for the first time Obito was seeing Kakashi as a kid who shoved everything aside to become an emotionless robot. Akani was the exact opposite, like him. She was an orphan and never gave up despite her shitty life and that was inspiring. Maybe he was looking at the back of someone going in the wrong direction?

"I was just thinking how I aspired to be better and stronger, like you, Kakashi," he murmured. "But after thinking about it, and hearing about Akani-chan's sacrifice of health, I'm wondering if you're all that worthy to be considered my rival." Without waiting to see what his words did he faced a carefully blank Rin. "Let's go find a scroll."  
She nodded and they took off, pushing off the branches. After a moment he felt Kakashi slide into place a few paces behind them.

It would be the last time either spoke to each other until after the exams.

* * *

**Once again, I'm soooooo sorry this took a week to get out. Things have been crazy! Totes legit, yo!**

**Ugh, all this silly season crap is getting to my head. Seriously.**

**Anyways, reviews are love, so... LOVE ME DAMNIT! :P**

**FUN FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND OTHER USELESS JUNK:**

**I'm running out of fun facts about myself to write here without getting too personal.**

**I grew up listening to bands like KISS, The Eagles, Velvet Revolver, Guns n Roses and ACDC (Aussie band that rocks and you should totally youtube em!)**

**I don't like wearing dresses. Jeans and a tee is where I'm at.**

**It's impossible to lick your own elbow.**

**Owls are the only birds able to recognise the colour blue.**

**The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.**

**Hot water is heavier than cold water, and it also freezes faster.**

**There are no clocks or windows in Las Vegas casinos.**

**:)**


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